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diff --git a/69698-0.txt b/69698-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d5302f4 --- /dev/null +++ b/69698-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6416 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 69698 *** + + _UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II_ + + Pictorial Record + + Second Edition + + THE WAR AGAINST JAPAN + + [Illustration] + + CENTER OF MILITARY HISTORY + + UNITED STATES ARMY + + WASHINGTON, D.C., 2006 + + + + + Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data + + Hunter, Kenneth E. + The war against Japan.--2d ed. + p. cm.--(United States Army in World War II. Pictorial record) + “The text was written and the photographs compiled by + Capt. Kenneth E. Hunter and Miss Margaret E. Tackley” Foreword. + Includes index. + 1. World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Japan--Pictorial works. + 2. World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Pacific Ocean--Pictorial works. + 3. World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Pacific Area--Pictorial works. + I. Tackley, Margaret E. II. Center of Military History. III. + Title. IV. Series. + + D767.H85 2006 + 940.53’52 dc22 + + 2006014728 + + + First Printed 1952--CMH Pub 12-1 + + For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government + Printing Office + Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800; + DC area (202) 512-1800 + Fax: (202) 512-2250 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402-0001 + + ISBN 0-16-076546-3 + + + + +Foreword + +To the Second Edition + + +This collection of 500-plus pictures dramatically enhances the written +record of World War II in the Pacific Theater. The images freeze in +place the soldiers, the weapons, the operations, the geography, and the +tenor of the moment. Maj. Gen. Orlando Ward’s foreword to the first +edition (_see next page_) describes this visual dimension as essential +to fully understanding military history. _The War Against Japan_ was +one of the first volumes in the United States Army in World War II +series, and it has stood the test of time. The book has also served as +a useful resource for anyone seeking to illustrate this stage of the +war. + +Although this second edition keeps all the original photographs, +captions, and short narrative historical introductions in each section, +the Center of Military History has taken several steps to improve +the appearance, currency, and utility of the book. New prints of all +existing photographs ensure their clarity, replacing the old printing +negatives with greatly improved examples. The Center staff also removed +outdated references and developed an appendix that provides more +detailed information on sources and photograph cataloging numbers. I +hope this information will further assist those involved in research or +seeking to obtain their own prints. + +In visually documenting the World War II experience, this volume has +proven to be an invaluable collection. By publishing this upgraded +edition, the Center hopes to revive and expand the book’s effectiveness +in promoting an awareness of the determination, courage, and sacrifices +of the American soldier in World War II. + + Washington, D.C. JEFFREY J. CLARKE + 15 May 2006 Chief of Military History + + + + +Foreword + + +During World War II the photographers of the United States armed forces +created on film a pictorial record of immeasurable value. Thousands +of pictures are preserved in the photographic libraries of the armed +services but are little seen by the public. + +In the narrative volumes of UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II, now +being prepared by the Office of the Chief of Military History of the +United States Army, it is possible to include only a limited number of +pictures. Therefore, a subseries of pictorial volumes, of which this +is the last, has been planned to supplement the other volumes of the +series. The photographs have been especially selected to show important +terrain features, types of equipment and weapons, living and weather +conditions, military operations, and matters of human interest. These +volumes will preserve and make accessible for future reference some +of the best pictures of World War II. An appreciation not only of the +terrain upon which actions were fought, but also of its influence on +the capabilities and limitations of weapons in the hands of both our +troops and those of the enemy, can be gained through a careful study of +the pictures herein presented. These factors are essential to a clear +understanding of military history. + +The text was written and the photographs compiled by Capt. Kenneth E. +Hunter and Miss Margaret E. Tackley; the volume was edited by Miss Mary +Ann Bacon. The book deals with the Pacific Theater of Operations and is +divided into six sections: (1) The Allied Defensive; (2) The Strategic +Defensive and Tactical Offensive; (3) The Offensive--1944; (4) The +Final Phase; (5) The China-Burma-India Theater; and (6) The Collapse of +Japan and the End of the War in the Pacific. Each section is arranged +in chronological order. All dates used are local dates, and it should +be remembered that all dates west of the International Date Line are +one day ahead of those east of the line. For example, 7 December 1941 +at Pearl Harbor is the same day as 8 December 1941 in the Philippines. +The written text has been kept to a minimum. Each section is preceded +by a brief introduction recounting the major events which are set down +in detail in the individual narrative volumes of UNITED STATES ARMY IN +WORLD WAR II. The appendixes give information as to the abbreviations +used and the sources of the photographs. + + Washington, D.C. ORLANDO WARD + 3 January 1952 Maj. Gen., USA + Chief of Military History + + + + +United States Army in World War II + + +_Advisory Committee_ + +(As of May 2006) + + Jon T. Sumida + University of Maryland + + Brig. Gen. Patrick Finnegan + U.S. Military Academy + + Lt. Gen. Anthony R. Jones + U.S. Army Training and + Doctrine Command + + Adrian R. Lewis + University of North Texas + + Brian M. Linn + Texas A&M University + + Howard Lowell + National Archives and Records Administration + + Col. Craig Madden + U.S. Army War College + + Joyce E. Morrow + Administrative Assistant to the + Secretary of the Army + + Ronald H. Spector + The George Washington University + + Brig. Gen. Volney Warner + U.S. Army Command and General Staff College + + +_U.S. Army Center of Military History_ + +Jeffrey J. Clark, Chief of Military History + + Chief, Histories Division Richard W. Stewart + Editor in Chief Keith R. Tidman + + + + +Contents + + + _Section_ _Page_ + + I. THE ALLIED DEFENSIVE 2 + + II. THE STRATEGIC DEFENSIVE AND + TACTICAL OFFENSIVE 76 + + III. THE OFFENSIVE--1944 213 + + IV. THE FINAL PHASE 328 + + V. THE CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER 412 + + VI. THE COLLAPSE OF JAPAN AND THE END OF + THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC 443 + + APPENDIX A: LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 463 + + APPENDIX B: LIST OF PICTORIAL SOURCES 464 + + INDEX 475 + + + + +.. to Those Who Served + + + + +THE ALLIED DEFENSIVE + + + + +SECTION I + +The Allied Defensive[1] + + +Before 7 December 1941, while war was actively being waged in Europe +and the Far East, the United States, still a neutral, was expanding +its manufacturing facilities to meet the demands for additional war +materials, both for the growing U.S. forces and those of the Allies. +On 7 December the Japanese struck Pearl Harbor in an attempt to so +cripple U.S. naval power that future Japanese conquest and occupation +in the Pacific would meet with little or no opposition. This attack +dealt a serious blow to Navy and Army Air Forces units stationed in +the Hawaiian Islands. On the same day two Japanese destroyers attacked +the island of Midway, but were beaten off by the defending troops. On +8 December Wake was assaulted. The attacks on Wake were continued for +two weeks and the small U.S. garrison was forced to surrender on 23 +December. Another weak garrison on the island of Guam, unable to resist +the enemy attacks, fell on 10 December. + +[1] See Louis Morton, _The Fall of the Philippines_, Washington, D.C., +1953, in the series U.S. ARMY IN WORLD WAR II. + +Early on the morning of 8 December the U.S. forces in the Philippines +were notified that a state of war existed and a full war alert was +ordered. On the same day the first Japanese aerial attack on the +Philippines took place. This was followed by others and on 10 December +enemy landings were made on Luzon. Expecting an early victory, the +Japanese sent a large force, but it was not until 6 May 1942 that the +Japanese were able to conquer the American and Filipino defenders who +fought a delaying action down the Bataan Peninsula and made a final +stand on the island of Corregidor. All military resistance ended in +the rest of the Philippine Islands by 17 May except for small bands +of guerrillas who continued to fight the enemy until 1945 when the +U.S. forces landed in the Philippines. In March 1942 the commander +of the United States Army Forces in the Far East was ordered to move +to Australia by the President of the United States. Troops from +the United States began arriving in Australia in December 1941 for +the build-up in preparation for the defense of Allied bases and the +recapture of enemy-held islands and bases in the Pacific. + +While some Japanese forces were carrying out the attacks in the +Pacific, others were overrunning Malaya, North Borneo, and Thailand. +After eighteen days of fighting Hong Kong was captured on 25 December +1941. Thailand, unable to resist the Japanese, agreed to co-operate +with them. Early in 1942 the Japanese took Borneo and by 15 February +the British garrison in Malaya capitulated. In the Netherlands East +Indies the U.S. Navy inflicted damage on an enemy convoy in the Battle +of Makassar Strait, the first important surface action of the war for +the U.S. Navy. On 9 March 1942 formal surrender by the Dutch ended all +resistance in the Netherlands East Indies. By these conquests in Asia +and the Pacific, the Japanese gained valuable territory rich in natural +resources and were ready to expand in other directions. + +During the first six months of 1942 the U.S. Navy fought the Japanese +Navy in the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Battle of Midway, and +raided the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. Army Air Forces medium bombers +took off from a carrier at sea and bombed Tokyo in April 1942 in a +surprise attack. As part of the Midway operations in June, planes of +the Japanese Navy bombed U.S. installations in Alaska and enemy troops +landed in the Aleutian Islands on Attu and Kiska. + +The Allied defensive phase of the war in the Pacific ended on 6 August +1942, with the Allies ready to strike the enemy-held islands in the +South Pacific. + +HAWAII + +[Illustration] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN DURING A FIELD INSPECTION in the Hawaiian +Islands, January 1941. From 1935 on the U.S. garrison in the Hawaiian +Islands was larger than any other American overseas outpost. However, +by 1940 there was a shortage of modern equipment and trained personnel, +and not until February 1941 did troop reinforcements and up-to-date +equipment begin to arrive in Hawaii. The United States was not +prepared for war and the men and equipment did not meet the necessary +requirements.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: COAST ARTILLERY BATTERY training in Hawaii. Man at left +is placing a round in the manual fuze setter of a 3-inch antiaircraft +gun M1917M2. A plan for the defense of the Hawaiian Islands had been +set up and joint maneuvers (land, air, and naval forces) were held +periodically to test the various security measures.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: 4.2-INCH CHEMICAL MORTAR CREW in action during maneuvers +(top); 75-mm. gun M1917A1 in a camouflaged position (bottom). As in +all U.S. military commands, the Hawaiian Department was faced with the +problem of training the largely inexperienced forces available at the +time.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: BROWNING ANTIAIRCRAFT MACHINE GUN on a runway at Wheeler +Field, Oahu, in the Hawaiian Islands. Early in December 1941 all the +U.S. troops, including antiaircraft batteries, were returned to their +stations from field maneuvers to await the signal for riot duty. +Trouble was expected, and while Japanese diplomats in Washington talked +peace, their Pearl Harbor Striking Force was moving eastward toward +Hawaii. During this movement the fleet maintained radio silence and was +not detected as it approached the islands. (.50-caliber antiaircraft +machine gun, water-cooled, flexible.)] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: FLYING FORTRESSES, Boeing B 17C heavy bombers, burning +at Hickam Field, Oahu, on 7 December 1941 (top); wreckage at the +Naval Air Station at Pearl Harbor, after the enemy attack, 7 December +(bottom). At 0730 on 7 December the first waves of Japanese aircraft +struck the U.S. defenses. Although a few U.S. fighter planes managed to +get into the air and destroyed some of the Japanese planes, the attack +wrought severe damage. After neutralizing the airfields the Japanese +struck at the U.S. Navy warships in the harbor.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: THE DESTROYER USS _SHAW_ EXPLODING during the attack +on Pearl Harbor, 7 December. The first attack on the U.S. warships +anchored in the harbor was delivered at 0758. By 0945 all the Japanese +aircraft had left Oahu and returned to their carriers. The U.S. Pacific +Fleet suffered a major disaster during the attack which lasted one +hour and fifty minutes. Sunk or damaged during the attack were the +destroyers _Shaw_, _Cassin_, and _Dowries_; the mine layer _Oglala_; +the target ship _Utah_; and a large floating drydock. Also hit were the +light cruisers _Helena_, _Honolulu_, and _Raleigh_; the seaplane tender +_Curtis_; and the repair ship _Vestal_.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: U.S. BATTLESHIPS HIT AT PEARL HARBOR. Left to right: +_West Virginia_, _Tennessee_, and _Arizona_ (top); the _West Virginia_ +aflame (bottom).] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: DAMAGED WARSHIPS. The U.S. destroyers _Dowries_, left, +and _Cassin_, right, and the battleship _Pennsylvania_, in background, +shortly after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Of the eight battleships hit, +the _Arizona_ was a total loss; the _Oklahoma_ was never repaired; the +_California_, _Nevada_, _West Virginia_, _Pennsylvania_, _Maryland_, +and _Tennessee_ were repaired and returned to service. The slight +depth of Pearl Harbor made possible the raising and refitting of these +ships.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: DESTROYED CURTIS P 40 FIGHTER PLANE at Bellows Field +(top); wrecked planes at Wheeler Field after the 7 December attack +(bottom). Of the Army’s 123 first-line planes in Hawaii, 63 survived +the attack; of the Navy’s 148 serviceable combat aircraft, 36 remained. +Only one small airfield on the north shore near Haleiwa was overlooked +during the raid.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: JAPANESE MIDGET SUBMARINE which ran aground on the beach +outside Pearl Harbor, 7 December. Early on the morning of 7 December at +least one Japanese submarine was reconnoitering inside Pearl Harbor, +having slipped past the antisubmarine net. After making a complete +circuit of Ford Island the submarine left the harbor and later ran +aground on the beach where it was captured intact.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: DESTROYED HANGAR AT HICKAM FIELD, 7 December. During +the attack the Army lost 226 killed and 396 wounded; the Navy, +including the Marine Corps, lost 3,077 killed and 876 wounded. The +Japanese attack was entirely successful in accomplishing its mission, +and the U.S. forces were completely surprised both strategically and +tactically.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: SOLDIERS LEAVING PIER to board trucks for Schofield +Barracks, Honolulu. As a result of the disaster at Pearl Harbor, +the Hawaiian command was reorganized. There was little enemy +activity in the Central Pacific after the 7 December attack. The +Japanese had seized Wake and Guam and were concentrating on their +southern campaigns. As the build-up of men and equipment progressed, +reinforcements began to pour into Hawaii for training and shipment to +Pacific stations.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: CONSTRUCTION WORK AT WHEELER FIELD, 11 December 1941. +After the Japanese raid many destroyed or damaged buildings were +rebuilt.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: ARMY TROOPS IN LCP(L)’S, during an amphibious training +exercise, leave Oahu for a beach landing. After the entry of the United +States into World War II training was intensified, and specialized +training in amphibious landings was given the troops arriving in the +Hawaiian Islands since most of the islands to be taken later would have +to be assaulted over open beaches. In February 1943 the Amphibious +Training Area, Waianae, Oahu, was activated for training units in +amphibious landings. LCP(L)’s had no bow ramp for disembarking troops.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: DEPLOYING FOR ADVANCE INLAND after landing on the +beach. During the war more than 250,000 men were given instruction in +amphibious assault operations.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: U.S. LIGHT TANK M2A2 during maneuvers on Oahu, 1942. +This light tank with twin turrets, one containing a .50-caliber machine +gun and the other a .30-caliber machine gun, was first manufactured in +1935. In December 1942, when it was declared obsolete, there were 234 +left in the Army. The M2A2 light tank is a good example of the type of +equipment available shortly after the entry of the United States into +World War II.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: LIGHT TANK M3 being refueled during jungle maneuvers. +This tank, which replaced earlier light tank models, had as its +principal weapon a 37-mm. gun.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: A BATTERY OF 105-MM. HOWITZERS M2A1 firing during +maneuvers (top); ordnance men repairing small arms (bottom). Two men +are holding .45-caliber automatic pistols M1911; in the vice on the +table is a .30-caliber Browning automatic rifle M1918A2; on the table +are two .30-caliber rifles M1.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: MEN CLEANING A 3-INCH ANTIAIRCRAFT GUN M3 (top); members +of a machine gun crew operating a Browning machine gun HB .50-caliber, +flexible (bottom).] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: PHILIPPINE ISLANDS] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: MORTAR SQUAD ASSEMBLING AN 81-MM. MORTAR M1 during +training in the Philippine Islands in 1941 (top). New recruits are +given instruction in use of the Browning .30-caliber machine gun +M1917A1 (bottom). In 1936 a program for national defense was initiated +in the Philippine Islands. A military mission of U.S. officers was +charged with the organization and training of Filipino regular troops. +In July 1941 the Philippine Army was ordered into the service of the +Army of the United States and U.S. troops were sent to the islands from +the United States.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: FILIPINO TROOPS training with a 37-mm. antitank gun M3. +As a result of the war warning to all overseas garrisons on 27 November +1941, the U.S. forces in the Philippines went on a full war alert. +Over a period of years the Japanese had collected a valuable store of +information about the Philippines and planned to occupy the Philippine +Islands, eliminating all U.S. troops there.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: LOADING A BAMBOO RAFT before crossing a river during +maneuvers (top), troops and mules preparing to swim a river (bottom). +By December 1941 U.S. ground forces in the Philippines numbered about +110,000, of which a little over 10,000 were U.S. personnel. The +remainder were Philippine scouts, constabulary, and Philippine Army +troops. As in the Hawaiian garrison, the hastily mobilized army lacked +training and modern equipment.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: ENGINEER TROOPS stand ready to place sections of a +ponton bridge in position during a river-crossing maneuver in the +Philippines, 1941.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: TROOPS CROSSING the newly constructed ponton bridge.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: CAVITE NAVY YARD, Luzon, during a Japanese aerial +attack. Early on the morning of 8 December 1941 the Japanese struck +the Philippine Islands. By the end of the first day the U.S. Army Air +Forces had lost half of its bombers and a third of its fighter planes +based there. During the morning of 10 December practically the entire +Navy yard at Cavite was destroyed by enemy bombers. The first Japanese +landings on Luzon also took place on 10 December. On 14 December +the remaining fourteen U.S. Army bombers were flown to Port Darwin, +Australia, and the ships that were undamaged after the attack were +moved south.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: RESIDENTS OF CAVITE evacuating the city after the +Japanese bombing raid of 10 December. After the destruction of the +Navy yards at Cavite, the remaining 11 naval patrol bombers were flown +to the Netherlands East Indies. The ground forces were left with +little or no air support. The Japanese, having control of the air over +the Philippines, began to mass their troops for the capture of the +islands.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: MEDIUM BOMBERS, B 18’S (top) and pursuit planes, P 36’s +(bottom) of the U.S. Far East Army Air Force attack infantry troops +during 1941 maneuvers in the Philippines. When the Japanese attacked +the Philippine Islands the United States had some 300 aircraft in the +Far East Air Force, but of these only 125 were suitable for combat. The +300 planes represented over 10 percent of the total U.S. air strength +at this time. The pilots and crews were well trained and lacked only +combat experience.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: JAPANESE ADVANCING during the drive on Manila. The +medium tank is a Type 94 (1934), with a 57-mm. gun with a free traverse +of 20 degrees right and left. It had a speed of 18 to 20 miles an hour, +was manned by a crew of 4, weighed 15 tons, and was powered by a diesel +engine.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: CAMOUFLAGED 155-MM. GUN M1918 (GPF) parked on the +Gerona-Tarlac road, December 1941. The Japanese forces moved down +Luzon forcing the defending U.S. troops to withdraw to the south. On +30 December a large-scale attack was launched and the U.S. troops +were driven back ten miles to Gapan. After another enemy attack they +fell back twenty miles farther. A secondary enemy attack at Tarlac +failed to achieve important gains. The northern U.S. force protected +the withdrawal of the southern force by a delaying action. All troops +were beginning to converge in the vicinity of Manila and the Bataan +Peninsula.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: AERIAL VIEW OF CORREGIDOR ISLAND off the tip of Bataan. +On 25 December, Headquarters, United States Army Forces in the Far +East, was established on Corregidor. Manila was declared an open city +on the following day and the remains of the naval base at Cavite were +blown up to prevent its supplies from falling into enemy hands.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: TANK OBSTACLES AND BARBED WIRE strung to delay the enemy +advance on Bataan (top); members of an antitank company in position +on Bataan (bottom). As the Japanese advanced, the defending forces +withdrew toward the Bataan Peninsula. The rugged terrain, protected +flanks, and restricted maneuvering room on Bataan limited the enemy’s +ability to employ large numbers of troops. Preparations for the defense +of the peninsula were intensified and the stocks of supplies were +increased.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: JAPANESE PRISONERS, captured on Bataan, being led +blindfolded to headquarters for questioning. On 1 January 1942 the +Japanese entered Manila and the U.S. troops withdrew toward Bataan. +Army supplies were either moved to Bataan and Corregidor or destroyed. +The remaining forces on Bataan, including some 15,000 U.S. troops, +totaled about 80,000 men. The food, housing, and sanitation problems +were greatly increased by the presence of over 20,000 civilian +refugees. All troops were placed on half-rations.] + +MARSHALL ISLANDS AND WAKE + +[Illustration: WOTJE ATOLL IN THE MARSHALL ISLANDS during the attack +by a naval task force, February 1942 (top); Wake during an attack by a +Douglas torpedo bomber (TBD) from the aircraft carrier USS _Enterprise_ +(bottom). On 1 February the Pacific Fleet of the U.S. Navy began a +series of offensive raids against the most prominent Japanese bases +in the Central Pacific area. The first of the attacks was carried out +against Kwajalein, Taroa, Wotje, and other atolls in the Marshall +Islands, as well as Makin in the Gilbert Islands. On 24 February a task +force made a successful air and naval bombardment against Wake.] + +MARCUS ISLAND AND WAKE + +[Illustration: PT (MOTOR TORPEDO) BOAT NEAR MARCUS ISLAND, which was +attacked 4 March 1942 (top); U.S. cruiser firing at Wake, 24 February +1942 (bottom). The aircraft carrier _Enterprise_, two cruisers, and +seven destroyers comprised the task force attacking the island of Wake. +The _Enterprise_ and two cruisers were the main ships used during the +Marcus Island attack, 1,200 miles from Japan. Losses to the U.S. forces +during these attacks were light and the effectiveness of the use of +fast, powerful, carrier task forces was demonstrated.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: JAPANESE SOLDIERS FIRING A MACHINE GUN Type 92 (1932) +7.7-mm. heavy machine gun, gas-operated and air-cooled. This was the +standard Japanese heavy machine gun (top). Japanese firing a 75-mm. gun +Type 41 (1908), normally found in an infantry regimental cannon company +(bottom). Called a mountain (infantry) gun, it was replaced by a later +model. Light and easily handled, it was very steady in action. When +used as a regimental cannon company weapon it was issued on the basis +of four per regiment.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: GUN CREW WITH A 3-INCH ANTIAIRCRAFT GUN M2. The U.S. +troops moving southward down Bataan in front of the enemy forces +continued their delaying action as long as possible. The Bataan +Peninsula, 32 miles long and 20 miles across at the widest portion, is +covered with dense woods and thick jungle growth. Through the center +runs a range of mountains. The limited area and difficult terrain made +the fighting more severe and added to the problems of the advancing +Japanese. However, the situation became steadily worse for the +defending troops and on 9 April 1942 the forces were surrendered to the +Japanese.] + +TOKYO RAID + +[Illustration: B-25’S ON THE FLIGHT DECK of the aircraft carrier USS +_Hornet_ before taking off to bomb Tokyo on 18 April 1942 (top); B-25 +taking off from the flight deck of the _Hornet_ (bottom). In a small +combined operation in the western Pacific by the U.S. Navy and the Army +Air Forces, sixteen planes took off from the carrier _Hornet_, 668 +nautical miles from Tokyo, to bomb the city for the first time during +the war. The Japanese were completely surprised because, even though +they had received a radio warning, they were expecting Navy planes +which would have to be launched from a carrier closer to Tokyo, and +therefore would not reach the city on 18 April.] + +TOKYO RAID + +[Illustration: CREW IN CHINA after raiding Tokyo. About noon on 18 +April the medium bombers from the _Hornet_ reached Tokyo and nearby +cities. After dropping their bombs they flew on to China where they +ran out of fuel before reaching their designated landing fields. The +crews of only two of the planes fell into Japanese hands. The others +lived in the mountains for about ten days after assembling and were +later returned to the United States. The news of the raid raised morale +in the United States and while the damage inflicted was not great, it +proved to the Japanese that they needed additional bases to the east to +protect the home islands of Japan.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: JAPANESE TROOPS ON BATAAN during the spring of 1942. +The Japanese commander insisted upon unconditional surrender of +all the troops in the Philippines and was furious when he learned +that only the U.S. forces on Bataan Peninsula had surrendered. The +forces on Corregidor held their fire until the captured Bataan troops +were removed from the area. (This picture was reproduced from an +illustration which appeared in a captured Japanese publication.)] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: U.S. PRISONERS ON BATAAN sorting equipment while +Japanese guards look on. Following this, the Americans and Filipinos +started on the Death March to Camp O’Donnell in central Luzon. Over +50,000 prisoners were held at this camp. A few U.S. troops escaped +capture and carried on as guerrillas.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: SOLDIERS IN MALINTA TUNNEL on Corregidor, April 1942. +With food, water, and supplies practically exhausted and no adequate +facilities for caring for the wounded, and with Japanese forces landing +on Corregidor, the situation for the U.S. troops was all but hopeless. +The commander offered to surrender the island forts on Corregidor to +the Japanese. When this was refused and with the remaining troops in +danger of being wiped out, all the U.S. forces in the Philippines were +surrendered to the enemy on 6 May 1942. Couriers were sent to the +various island commanders and by 17 May all organized resistance in the +Philippines had ceased.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: COASTAL DEFENSE GUN on Corregidor (top); 12-inch +mortars on Corregidor (bottom). Corregidor’s armament comprised eight +12-inch guns, twelve 12-inch mortars, two 10-inch guns, five 6-inch +guns, twenty 155-mm. guns, and assorted guns of lesser caliber, +including antiaircraft guns. The fixed gun emplacements were in open +concrete pits and exposed to aerial attack and artillery shelling. The +Japanese kept up strong concentrations of fire against the defenses on +Corregidor until most of the defending guns were knocked out.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: CAPTURED AMERICAN AND FILIPINO TROOPS after the +surrender on Corregidor. The 11,500 surviving troops on Corregidor +became prisoners of war and on 28 May 1942 were evacuated to a prison +stockade in Manila. The fall of Corregidor on 6 May marked the end of +the first phase of enemy operations. The Japanese had bases controlling +routes to India, Australia, and many islands in the Central and South +Pacific and were preparing for their next assaults against the Allies. +(This picture is reproduced from an illustration which appeared in a +captured Japanese publication.)] + +CHINA + +[Illustration: JAPANESE TROOPS posed in the streets of Shanghai. The +Japanese had been fighting in China since the early 1930’s. During +late 1941 and early 1942 Hong Kong and Singapore fell to the enemy +along with Malaya, North Borneo, and Thailand. Control over the latter +gave Japan rich supplies of rubber, oil, and minerals--resources badly +needed by the Japanese to carry on the offensive against the Allies.] + +AUSTRALIA + +[Illustration: U.S. TROOPS ARRIVING IN AUSTRALIA. In March the +headquarters of the Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific was +established at Melbourne. The Netherlands East Indies had fallen to the +enemy and it was necessary to build up a force in the Southwest Pacific +area to combat the Japanese threat to Australia. With the Japanese +blocking the sea lanes of the Central Pacific, a new line of supply to +the Far East was established by way of the Fiji Islands, New Caledonia, +and Australia.] + +AUSTRALIA + +[Illustration: COAST ARTILLERY TROOPS entraining at Melbourne, March +1942. The Japanese air attack on Darwin in February proved that the +north coast of Australia was too open to attack by enemy planes and +thereafter the Allies concentrated their forces along the eastern coast +from Melbourne to Townsville.] + +CORAL SEA + +[Illustration: AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS _LEXINGTON_ burning after the +Battle of the Coral Sea. The Japanese planned to strengthen their +bases in the Southwest Pacific and to sever the line of communications +between the United States and Australia. One enemy task force, sent +to take Tulagi in the southern Solomons, was attacked at sea and +lost a number of ships, but nevertheless landed troops and captured +Tulagi. Another task force intended for Port Moresby did not reach +its objective because of an attack by U.S. naval forces. This battle, +called the Battle of the Coral Sea, was fought on 7-8 May 1942 and was +the first carrier against carrier battle in history.] + +CORAL SEA + +[Illustration: SURVIVORS OF THE USS _LEXINGTON_ after the Battle of the +Coral Sea. The _Lexington_ was so badly damaged that she had to be sunk +by torpedoes from U.S. destroyers. Both the U.S. and Japanese Navies +inflicted damage on surface ships and both lost aircraft in the battle. +The opposing forces withdrew at about the same time and the action can +be considered a draw. Following this battle the enemy no longer tried +to send troops to Port Moresby by sea, an advantage to the Allies who +began to develop the area of northeastern Australia and New Guinea. +Instead, the Japanese sent troops overland to drive on Port Moresby and +by 28 July 1942 had captured Kokoda, key to the mountain pass through +the Owen Stanley Range.] + +AUSTRALIA + +[Illustration: SOLDIERS PRACTICE LOADING into small boats during +training in Australia. Cargo nets on a transport could be used with a +great degree of efficiency as they could accommodate far more troops at +one time than ladders.] + +AUSTRALIA + +[Illustration: 3-INCH ANTIAIRCRAFT GUN M3 being decontaminated by +members of a coast artillery battery after the gun had been subjected +to mustard gas during training in chemical warfare (top). After firing, +artillerymen open the breech of their 155-mm. howitzer M1918 mounted on +an M1918A3 carriage (bottom).] + +MIDWAY + +[Illustration: BURNING JAPANESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER during a bombing +attack at the Battle of Midway, 3-6 June 1942. The Japanese Grand +Fleet, comprised of 4 aircraft carriers, 11 battleships, 14 cruisers, +58 destroyers, and all the requisite auxiliaries, left Japan to engage +the U.S. Fleet in a major battle, if possible, and at the same time +to occupy Midway Island. The U.S. Fleet, warned of the impending +attack, divided its ships into two carrier task forces consisting in +all of 3 aircraft carriers, 8 cruisers, and 14 destroyers. Twenty-five +submarines covered all the approaches and heavy and medium bombers were +flown to Midway to supplement the air power on the island.] + +MIDWAY + +[Illustration: THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS _YORKTOWN_ during the attack +(top) and burning (bottom). At the Battle of Midway the _Yorktown_ +was badly damaged and while being towed was torpedoed and sunk by an +enemy submarine. After losing all four of its aircraft carriers and 250 +planes, the Japanese fleet abandoned the assault and retired from the +scene. During the battle the main body of the fleet had come no closer +than 500 miles to Midway. As in the Battle of the Coral Sea, surface +vessels made no contact during the engagement. The Battle of Midway, +one of the decisive battles in the Pacific, stopped Japanese expansion +to the east, and Midway remained in U.S. hands. The U.S. losses were +one aircraft carrier, one destroyer, and 150 planes. From this time on +the balance of power in the Pacific shifted steadily in favor of the +Allies.] + +ALASKA + +[Illustration: DUTCH HARBOR, ALASKA, with buildings burning after +the Japanese bombing of June 1942. On 3 and 4 June the Japanese +attacked the Army installations there. Of the two bombings, the first +resulted in little damage, but the second considerably damaged ground +installations. On 4 June the Japanese landed a battalion on Attu, +and on the 6th troops landed on Kiska. Since most of the available +U.S. ships, planes, and trained troops were needed in other areas, no +immediate action was begun to recapture Attu and Kiska. Both the United +States and Japan learned that, because of the extremely bad weather +conditions, this area was one of the most unsuitable in the world for +combat operations and the Aleutians were not used as an important base +for operations.] + +AUSTRALIA + +[Illustration: MILITARY MOTOR CONVOY IN AUSTRALIA. Great distances +had to be traveled in Australia by rail and motor convoys, many miles +of which were through barren or waste land such as shown in these +photographs.] + +AUSTRALIA + +[Illustration: AN ARMY NURSE giving an enlisted man an inoculation. +Troops arriving in Australia were prepared for transshipment to the +enemy-held islands during the latter part of 1942. Since the number of +troops in the Southwest Pacific was limited during the early stages, +future operations were based on the movement of air force units from +island to island to gain air superiority, provide cover for the +advancing ground forces, and isolate enemy positions. As the ground +forces moved to a new position, airfields were to be established for +the next jump. Some of the first enemy positions to be taken were near +Port Moresby and in the Solomons.] + +AUSTRALIA + +[Illustration: COMPLETELY EQUIPPED TROOPS GOING UP A GANGPLANK at +Melbourne to go on the way to their new station in the forward area. +After receiving additional training in Australia, troops were sent out +to carry the offensive to Japanese-held bases.] + +NEW CALEDONIA + +[Illustration: TROOPS EN ROUTE TO NEW CALEDONIA; in foreground is a +37-mm. antitank gun M3 (top). Men cleaning their weapons aboard a +transport (bottom). Some troops arrived in New Caledonia directly from +the United States while others went by way of Australia.] + +NEW CALENDONIA + +[Illustration: ARMY TROOPS ARRIVING AT NOUMÉA, New Caledonia, in March +1942 aboard a transport (top); troops arriving at the dock after +leaving the transport (bottom).] + +NEW CALEDONIA + +[Illustration: TROOPS WEARING GAS MASKS cross a stream under a +protective cover of smoke during maneuvers (top); infantrymen and jeeps +(¼-ton 4×4 truck) crossing a stream during training on New Caledonia, +summer 1942.] + +NEW CALEDONIA + +[Illustration: PACK MULE TRAIN of a cavalry unit during training.] + +NEW CALEDONIA + +[Illustration: ADVANCE COMMAND POST of an infantry division stationed +on New Caledonia, 1942.] + +NEW CALEDONIA + +[Illustration: TYPICAL TERRAIN OF NEW CALEDONIA; the rugged terrain +and dense woods and growth made maneuvering in the Pacific islands +extremely difficult (top). Small infantry bivouac area, showing the +native-type huts occupied by some of the U.S. troops stationed on the +island (bottom).] + +NEW CALEDONIA + +[Illustration: INTERIOR OF A NATIVE-TYPE HUT occupied by U.S. troops +stationed on New Caledonia (top); headquarters building of an infantry +division, New Caledonia (bottom). Huts of this type were used as troop +quarters and as office buildings since the material for construction +was easily accessible and the huts were also an effective camouflage +measure against enemy aerial observation.] + +NEW CALEDONIA + +[Illustration: AMPHIBIAN TRUCK, 2½-ton 6×6, nicknamed “the Duck,” +standardized in October 1942, proved to be an extremely valuable +piece of equipment. It could operate on land or water and was often +used to bring supplies ashore where there were no ports or harbors +available for larger craft. Supplies loaded from ships onto the Ducks +could unload at the supply dumps, saving the extra handling involved +when lighters or similar craft were used. This vehicle could carry +approximately 25 men and their equipment or a 5,000-pound payload.] + +NEW CALEDONIA + +[Illustration: NATIVE NEW CALEDONIANS unloading mail for troops +stationed on the island. Throughout the Pacific natives were used +whenever possible for construction work on airfields, to transport +supplies and equipment, and in all other types of work calling for +unskilled labor.] + +NEW CALEDONIA + +[Illustration: U.S. AND NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS comparing weapons. The +Australians and New Zealanders took part in a number of the operations +in the Southwest Pacific Area.] + +NEW CALEDONIA + +[Illustration: SOLDIER STANDING IN A CAMOUFLAGED FOXHOLE during an +infantry training problem in jungle warfare (top). An Australian sniper +in a camouflaged position during training (bottom). Every effort was +made to teach all troops all methods of jungle warfare so that they +could better combat the enemy who was well trained in jungle fighting +and living.] + +NEW CALEDONIA + +[Illustration: MEN OF AN ORDNANCE UNIT ASSEMBLING VEHICLES which had +arrived crated in sections. By October 1942 twenty-five men were +completing six vehicles a day on this assembly line.] + +NEW CALEDONIA + +[Illustration: ENLISTED MAN CATCHES UP ON LOST SLEEP after spending all +night packing and moving with his regiment to the port of embarkation +in preparation for a move from New Caledonia to another South Pacific +island. The hilt of the saber which shows on the right side of the pack +is that of an Australian cavalry saber issued in lieu of a machete.] + + + + +THE STRATEGIC DEFENSIVE + +AND + +TACTICAL OFFENSIVE + + + + +SECTION II + +The Strategic Defensive and Tactical Offensive[2] + + +By August 1942 the Allies had established a series of defensive island +bases, along an arc reaching from Honolulu to Sydney, which served +as steppingstones for the supply system and the springboard for +later offensive operations. The Japanese threat to these islands in +late summer 1942 put the Allies on the tactical offensive, strategic +defensive. Rabaul, the principal Japanese base in the Southwest +Pacific, became the objective of a two-pronged Allied counterattack. +One prong, starting with Guadalcanal, was directed up the chain of +Solomons; the other prong, starting from Port Moresby, was directed +through northeastern New Guinea toward New Britain. + +[2] See John Miller, jr., _Guadalcanal: The First Offensive_, +Washington, D.C., 1949 and _Cartwheel: The Reduction of Rabaul_, +Washington, D.C. 1959; Samuel Milner, _Victory in Papua_, Washington, +D.C., 1957; and Philip A. Crowl and Edmund G. Love, _The Seizure of the +Gilberts and Marshalls_, Washington, D.C., 1955, in the series _U.S. +ARMY IN WORLD WAR II._ + +The Guadalcanal Campaign, first in the Solomon ladder, was undertaken +with extremely limited means. Ground forces, aided by the Navy and +Air Forces, fought tenaciously, bringing the campaign to an end on 21 +February 1943, a little over six months after its inception. Advancing +further up the Solomon chain, the Allies made unopposed landings in the +Russells on 21 February. Construction of airstrips, a radar station, a +motor torpedo boat base, and facilities to accommodate a large quantity +of supplies was immediately undertaken there. + +In preparation for the assault on the Munda airfield, New Georgia, +combat troops underwent rigorous training during the following months. +Before this assault, Rendova was occupied on 30 June against only light +opposition. This island provided gun positions and a staging point +for the thrust against Munda Point two days later. Munda airfield +was captured on 5 August and by the 25th all organized resistance +on New Georgia Island ceased. The next objective was Vella Lavella +where landings were made on the southern end of the island on 15 +August without opposition. Simultaneously, the lesser islands in the +New Georgia group were occupied and the enemy evacuated Vella Lavella +during the night of 6-7 October. The New Georgia group operation was +closed on 15 October. + +On the night of 26-27 October 1943, New Zealand troops landed on the +Treasury Islands which were to be used as a staging area for landing +craft. On 28 October a U.S. Marine battalion executed diversionary +landings on Choiseul in preparation for a surprise attack at +Bougainville on 1 November. By the end of the year a naval base and +three airfields had become operational on Bougainville. No further +offensive action was undertaken by U.S. forces on the island since the +American troops expected to be replaced by Australian units. Naval +engagements and air attacks throughout this entire period effected +considerable damage on the enemy. + +In the latter part of September 1942, nearly two months after the +invasion of Guadalcanal, the initial Allied blow of the second prong +was made in Papua. On 16 September the enemy advance in Papua was +halted at a point less than 20 miles from Port Moresby where it was met +by stiffened Australian resistance. American troops were rushed into +Port Moresby by plane and boat, and a counter-attack was launched in +the last days of September. The enemy fell back to Buna and, while the +Australian forces laboriously made their way over the steep mountain +trails, American troops were flown overland toward Jaure. During this +campaign U.S. troops in New Guinea learned the bitter lessons of jungle +warfare by actual experience. By 23 January 1943 organized resistance +had been wiped out, ending the Papua Campaign. + +While the ground forces were fighting the enemy in Papua, U.S. aircraft +struck at his bases at Salamaua, Lae, Finschhafen, Madang, and Wewak in +Northeast New Guinea. In the latter part of January, American troops +followed by Australian troops, were flown over the mountains to engage +the enemy at threatened points along his advance from his defense +bases. Fighting over the rugged terrain in this area was slow and +costly. Salamaua was overrun on 12 September, and when troops entered +Lae on 16 September the enemy had fled into the hills to the north. To +prevent the Japanese from attempting further advances between September +and December, pressure was maintained by the Allies in a slow move +toward Madang on the northeast coast of New Guinea. + +New moves to isolate Rabaul started on 15 December, when troops landed +on Arawe on the southern coast of New Britain, and on 26 December, when +landings were made on both sides of Cape Gloucester. At the end of the +year Rabaul was under constant air attack by U.S. aircraft, and the +enemy’s line of communication from Rabaul to the Solomon-New Guinea +area was severed. + +Meanwhile, the plan of operation against the Japanese in the Aleutians +was to attack Attu in an attempt to compel them to evacuate Kiska. Attu +was invaded on 11 May 1943 and for eighteen days a bitter and bloody +fight ensued. The fighting ended on 30 May but mopping-up operations +continued for several days. When Kiska was invaded on 15 August the +island was deserted; the Japanese had withdrawn. + +While the enemy was fully occupied in the Southwest Pacific, an +invasion of the Gilbert Islands was made on the Makin and Tarawa Atolls +on 20 November. This was the first in a series of moves to recover +Japanese-held bases that could be used to further the Allied advance +toward the heart of the Japanese Empire. Only moderate opposition was +met at Makin and by evening of the 23d its capture was complete. At +Tarawa much stronger resistance was encountered but was destroyed by +the 24th, except for isolated groups which were later eliminated. Other +islands in both atolls were occupied during the following days. + +[Illustration: SOLOMON ISLANDS] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: HENDERSON FIELD in the Lunga area, Guadalcanal, as it +appeared in November 1943. Lunga River can be seen in right foreground. +The airfield, in the process of being built by the Japanese in the +summer of 1942, was the immediate objective of the marines who landed +on the island on 7 August 1942. This broad, level, coastal plain on +the north coast of Guadalcanal was the only territory in the southern +Solomons offering terrain suitable for the construction of large +airfields.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: SOUTHWEST PORTION OF FLORIDA ISLAND, looking across +Gavutu Harbour toward the northwest part of Florida. The immediate +objectives in the Guadalcanal Campaign were the Tulagi-Gavutu-Tanambogo +area, the largest and best developed anchorage in the southern +Solomons, and the nearly completed airfield on Guadalcanal. The +Guadalcanal Campaign was the first amphibious offensive operation +launched by the United States in World War II.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: RESULTS OF AIR AND NAVAL BOMBARDMENT on Tanambogo, which +the Marines requested in order to halt enemy fire hindering their +progress on Gavutu. Gavutu Island, on left, is connected with Tanambogo +by a stone causeway and is about a mile and three quarters to the east +of Tulagi Island. These islands form the western side of Gavutu Harbour +where the Japanese had developed a seaplane base. On 7 August 1942, +concurrent with landings on Guadalcanal, marines landed on Tulagi, +Gavutu, and Florida Islands.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: TROOPS LANDING ON FLORIDA ISLAND. Occupation of the +island group, Tulagi and its satellites, was accomplished in three +days. The enemy garrisons were wiped out except for about 70 survivors +who made their way to Florida Island. Mopping-up operations on Florida +continued for a few weeks.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MORTAR CREW IN ACTION on Guadalcanal. The mortar is +an 81-mm. M1 on mount M1. On the evening of 8 August, the airfield +on Guadalcanal was in U.S. hands. During the following weeks enemy +attempts to retake the airfield were repulsed. On 7 October, six Marine +battalions attacked westward to prevent the enemy from establishing +positions on the east bank of the Matanikau River.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MARINES ON GUADALCANAL in October 1942 firing a 75-mm. +pack howitzer M1A1 mounted on carriage M8. Although this weapon was +primarily used for operations in mountainous terrain, it was capable of +engaging antitank targets.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: USS _WASP_ lists to starboard, 15 September 1942, as +smoke billows from the ship. Several men and a plane can be seen at the +bow of the ship. This aircraft carrier, patrolling near Guadalcanal, +was struck by three torpedoes from enemy submarines. Despite efforts of +her crew, fires and explosions made such a shambles of the ship that +she had to be sunk by her own men.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: FLYING FORTRESS ON A SORTIE over Japanese installations +on Gizo Island in October 1942. Smoke from bomb strikes can be seen in +the background. This raid was part of a series of air attacks on the +enemy during the fight for Guadalcanal. Most of the B-17’s came from +Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides. (Boeing Flying Fortress heavy bomber +B-17.)] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: NAVAL-AIR ACTION IN THE SOLOMONS, October 1942. The +USS _Hornet_ after a Japanese dive bomber hit the signal deck; note +Japanese dive bomber over the ship and the Japanese torpedo bombing +plane on left (top). The USS _Enterprise_, damaged during the one-day +battle of Santa Cruz when a great Japanese task force advancing toward +Guadalcanal was intercepted by a much weaker American task force +(bottom). The American ships were forced to withdraw but the enemy +turned and retired to the north instead of pursuing them.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: DAMAGE AT HENDERSON FIELD following the bombardment +of 13 and 14 October 1942 by enemy bombers and field artillery which +severely damaged the runways and destroyed more than fifty planes. +Japanese bombing at first was amazingly accurate. Smoking ruins are all +that remain of an airplane hangar after a direct hit (top). Marines +extinguish fire destroying a burning Grumman Wildcat fighter by the +bucket brigade method (bottom). The raid also destroyed most of the +ready ammunition available at the time.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: ARMY TROOPS LANDING ON GUADALCANAL to reinforce the +marines. B-17 giving protection to the landing forces; landing craft +in left foreground is LCP(L), in the right foreground is LCP(R) (top). +Four 37-mm. M3 antitank guns on the beach (bottom). On 13 October +sorely needed reinforcements for the malaria-ridden marines started to +arrive, and by the end of the year U.S. forces were strong enough to +begin the final offensive on the island.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: NEAR THE FRONT LINES, December 1942. Natives of +Guadalcanal, employed by the Army, carry supplies to the fighting lines +(top); 37-mm. antitank gun M3 in an emplacement guarding a bridge over +the Matanikau River (bottom). The Japanese situation on the island had +deteriorated rapidly by this time, partly because of the costly defeats +suffered while attempting to bring in supplies and replacements.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: JAPANESE TRANSPORTS AFIRE off the coast of Guadalcanal, +15 November 1942. A group of eleven transports proceeding to +Guadalcanal were intercepted by aircraft from Henderson Field. Seven +ships were sunk or gutted by fire. Four were damaged and were later +destroyed near Tassafaronga Point where they had been beached.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: SURVIVORS OF THE SS _PRESIDENT COOLIDGE_. This transport +struck an Allied mine in Pallikula Bay. Espiritu Santo Island, 26 +October 1942. Of the 4,000 troops aboard, only two men were lost; +however, vitally needed equipment and stores went to the bottom with +the ship.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MUDDY TRAIL. Trails such as this made the use of +chains on wheeled vehicles imperative (top). Engineers, constructing +a heavy-traffic bridge across the Matanikau River, lay planking over +framework of palm tree logs (bottom). Advance on Guadalcanal was +difficult and slow. Troops cleared the areas from which the final drive +was to begin and pressure slowly increased against the enemy until the +offensive was in full swing.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: JEEPS ON NARROW TRAIL. This trail, having many grades +approaching 40 degrees, was slick and dangerous after heavy rains and +was of little use for heavier vehicles.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: BIVOUAC NEAR FRONT LINE, 15 January 1943. Note the use +of steel helmets as cooking vessels. Fighting during the first part +of the month had been bitter; the enemy had taken advantage of the +numerous north-south ridges and streams to establish a strong defensive +position. On the 15th a loud speaker was set up on this hill and the +Japanese were told to send an officer to arrange for a surrender. There +was no response to the order.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: FIELD TELEPHONE, still in working order after being +hit by a shell fragment when a Japanese “knee-mortar” shell landed +six feet away. In the absence of reliable radio communications, wire +communications were heavily relied upon. The EE-8 field telephone and +the sound-powered telephone were used for long and short distances, +respectively.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MOVING SUPPLIES FORWARD. Native carriers bringing +supplies through the jungles into the hills (top); boat filled with +radio equipment being pushed through a narrow, shallow portion of the +Matanikau River. The boat line established on this river was called the +“Pusha Maru” (bottom). The supplies first had to be brought by boat up +the shallow river and then carried over the trails which were passable +only for men on foot. During January the enemy situation became +hopeless and some senior Japanese commanders began deserting their +troops.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: EVACUATING CASUALTIES FROM THE FRONT LINES. The jeep, +converted into an ambulance used to transport patients to the rear +areas, could carry three litters and one sitting patient (top). +Casualties being unloaded near new bridge construction. The first +part of their trip was in flat bottom boats pulled through shallow +rapids; the latter part was made in outboard motor boats (bottom). The +procedure for moving supplies forward for the most part was reversed +for the evacuation of the wounded.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: FIRE RESULTING FROM ENEMY BOMBS which fell into a +bivouac area near a U.S. division headquarters on 22 January 1943. In +mid-January ground force units attacked Mount Austen, the southern +anchor of the enemy’s position. While some Army units pushed through +the jungle in an enveloping maneuver designed to cut off the enemy +at Kokumbona, other Marine and Army units advanced along the coastal +road.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: ROAD LEADING TO FRONT LINE FROM BIVOUAC AREA (top). +Supply dump which was set up on Kokumbona beach after pushing the enemy +back; note shell and bomb craters which were used as foxholes by the +troops (bottom). The enveloping movement trapped several enemy units at +Kokumbona which were then quickly destroyed. By the end of the month +U.S. troops had reached the Bonegi River.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: A TWO-MAN JAPANESE SUBMARINE after being raised from +the sea, the remains of the Japanese transport _Yamazuki Maru_ in the +background (top); damaged Japanese landing craft on the beach near Cape +Esperance (bottom). The Guadalcanal Campaign was a costly experience +for the enemy. In addition to the loss of many warships and hundreds +of planes with experienced pilots, the Japanese expended some two and +one-half divisions of their best troops.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: JAPANESE PRISONERS RAISING VEGETABLES for their own +table. The Guadalcanal Campaign drew to a close shortly after two U.S. +forces converged on Cape Esperance where the Japanese were effecting +their evacuation on 8 February 1943. The enemy had committed at least +36,700 men on Guadalcanal. Of these, some 14,800 were killed or drowned +while attempting to land; 9,000 died of sickness, starvation, or +wounds; 1,000 were captured; and about 13,000 were evacuated.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: RENARD FIELD, as seen from the southeast, on the eastern +part of Banika Island in the Russell Island group. Sunlight Field can +be seen across Renard Sound. Unopposed landings in the Russell Islands, +located about sixty miles northwest of Guadalcanal, were made on 21 +February 1943. By early evening all elements of the landing force could +communicate by telephone, the troops had dug themselves into defensive +positions, and outposts and observation posts had been established.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: RENARD SOUND, separating the two airfields on Banika. +Construction of roads, airfields, and boat bases began in February and +by 15 April the first of the two airfields was ready for operation. The +torpedo boat base at Lingatu (Wernham) Cove went into operation on 25 +February.] + +NEW CALEDONIA + +[Illustration: SHIPS LOADING at the harbor, Nouméa, New Caledonia, +12 February 1943. During the tactical offensive of the U.S. forces +throughout 1943, New Caledonia remained a steppingstone in the supply +line to the forces fighting up the Solomon-New Guinea ladder.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: LCT(5) BEACHED FOR LOADING PURPOSES in the Russell +Islands. By 16 March, 15,669 troops of all services had reached the +Russells. Beach and antiaircraft defenses, including long-range and +fire-control radar, 155-mm. guns, and 90-mm., 40-mm., and other +antiaircraft guns, had been established. The Allied base there was +ready to support further advances northward.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: CONVOY OF SHIPS MOVING TOWARD RENDOVA ISLAND from Koli +Point, Guadalcanal, 29 June 1943. Only a few miles south of Munda +Point in New Georgia, Rendova was first to be occupied in strength to +provide positions for 155-mm. guns and a staging area from which the +main thrust against Munda would be made. This operation was covered by +fighter planes which shot down more than a hundred Japanese aircraft in +a few days.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: PARACHUTE, CARRYING FILM OF MUNDA POINT, being dropped +by a B-24 bomber to men on Rendova. The landing on Rendova, made on 30 +June, met with light resistance. Fire from enemy batteries on nearby +Munda Point was effectively neutralized by naval bombardment.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: 90-MM. ANTIAIRCRAFT GUN IN ACTION against enemy aircraft +over Rendova. The later need for a dual-purpose weapon which could be +fired against both aerial and ground targets led to the development +of the 90-mm. gun M2. As soon as the Munda airfield and other +strategically important points on New Georgia were taken, preparations +were to be made for the capture of Kolombangara.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: INFANTRY REINFORCEMENTS disembarking from LCI(L) on +New Georgia, 22 July 1943. On 2 July 1943 troops had landed on New +Georgia east of Munda Point. It was anticipated that these forces +would be sufficient to seize the airfield and other objectives within +thirty days, but because of the strong Japanese defenses encountered, +reinforcements were ordered to New Georgia in mid-July to supplement +the initial landing.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN fording a stream along a Munda trail in New +Georgia in an advance against the enemy on 10 July 1943. The first man +on the left is armed with a .30-caliber rifle M1; second man is armed +with a .30-caliber rifle M1903. Strong enemy defenses, mud, dense +jungle, and inaccurate maps all combined to slow the advance.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MUNDA AIRFIELD ON MUNDA POINT, 8 September 1943. On 25 +August, twenty days after the airfield was captured, all organized +resistance on New Georgia ceased. During this operation Allied planes +destroyed an estimated 350 enemy aircraft at a cost of 93 Allied +planes.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: U.S. NAVY DESTROYER IN ACTION against an enemy destroyer +force off Vella Lavella. The next step up the Solomon ladder became +Vella Lavella instead of Kolombangara Island which was bypassed. While +some units were still fighting in New Georgia, others landed on Vella +Lavella on 15 August, established a defensive perimeter, and began the +construction of an airstrip.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: NEW ZEALANDERS LANDING ON VELLA LAVELLA, 17 September, +to relieve U.S. units on the island. Earlier in September Americans had +moved north on Vella Lavella driving the small enemy garrison into the +northwestern part of the island.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: TRUCK, LOADED WITH AMMUNITION for the field artillery, +landing on Arundel Island from an LCT(5) (top); additional troops +landing on Arundel, Rendova Island on horizon (bottom). The results of +executing a landing on Vella Lavella and cutting the enemy’s supply +and reinforcement lines to Kolombangara and other lesser islands which +were bypassed became apparent when one enemy position after another was +abandoned, or easily neutralized by U.S. ground and air forces.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MEN CARRYING MORTAR SHELLS into the dense jungle while +others rush back to the beach for another load (top); firing a 4.2-inch +M2 chemical mortar into an enemy position (bottom). Arundel was one of +the lesser islands in the New Georgia group, located between Rendova +and Kolombangara.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: 155-MM. HOWITZER M1918 on carriage M1918A3 in firing +position on Arundel. Without success the Japanese continually attempted +to reinforce their remaining garrisons in the New Georgia group of +islands.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MEN RECEIVING ORDERS for the next attack. Rifle in +right foreground is a .30-caliber M1. The dense jungle on Arundel +afforded the men excellent concealment from Japanese pilots. Before the +New Georgia operation came to a close, the next phase of the Solomon +campaign had begun.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: NORTH AMERICAN B-25 MEDIUM BOMBERS on raid over +Bougainville (top); Navy torpedo bombers (TBF’s) on strafing mission +over Bougainville (bottom). During the latter half of September 1943, +before the New Georgia operation had ended, the Air Forces turned its +attention to the Bougainville area.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MARINES IN CAMOUFLAGE SUITS hit the narrow beach at +Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, on D Day, 1 November 1943. Prior +to the landing on Bougainville, the Treasury Islands were seized +and developed as a staging area for landing craft, and diversionary +landings were made on Choiseul in preparation for a surprise attack at +Bougainville.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: COAST GUARDMEN TRYING TO FREE AN LCVP after discharging +its load of men and supplies during the initial attacks to secure a +beachhead on Bougainville. Enemy action and heavy surf took their toll +of many boats at the water edge. Enemy machine gun positions that +caused some disorganization among landing boats were taken before the +end of the day.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: LST BEACHED AT PURUATA, off Cape Torokina, Empress +Augusta Bay. Marines, supplies, and equipment landed from the open +bow of the ship to reinforce the men on the beachhead established on +1 November 1943. The troops that landed on the north shore of Empress +Augusta Bay encountered only slight initial resistance and losses +were considered negligible. Excellent air support for the assault was +rendered by both carrier and land-based planes.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: TROOPS RECEIVE A STIRRING SEND-OFF as they prepare to +embark at Guadalcanal to reinforce the marines at Bougainville (top). +LCV taking drums of gasoline to transports headed for Bougainville +(bottom). After the enemy had been driven off of Guadalcanal, efforts +were directed toward improving the defensive strength of the island +and establishing a base that could support further operations in the +Solomon chain.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: 105-MM. HOWITZER AMMUNITION for Bougainville being +loaded on an LCV at Guadalcanal. Artillery fire, prior to an attack +by the infantry, was effectively used against the Japanese system +of defense, usually consisting of well-dug-in, concealed foxholes, +equipped with a high percentage of automatic weapons.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN CLIMBING DOWN A CARGO NET of the transport +_President Jackson_, 5 November 1943, for the trip to Bougainville to +reinforce the marines. Note collapsible rubber raft (LCR) on side of +transport. Before the assault on Bougainville, combat troops underwent +rigorous training based upon lessons learned in the Guadalcanal +Campaign.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: 105-MM. HOWITZERS M2A2 BEING FIRED by American forces +near Buretoni Mission, 8 November. One of the early objectives on the +island was to establish a road block astride the Buretoni Mission-Piva +trail, which led inland from one of the beaches. The road block would +serve to deny the enemy use of the trail, the main route of access from +the east to an Allied position.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MOVING ALONG A MUDDY TRAIL from the beachhead area, 9 +November, men pass stalled water tanks and vehicles; note chains used +on vehicle in left foreground (top). Amphibian tractor, LVT(1), passing +men who have stopped to rest (bottom). The advance on foot progressed +at a rate of 100 yards an hour. The Japanese resisted the advance using +light machine guns and “knee mortars.” The assault was frontal of +necessity since swamps flanked the trail.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: 4-TON 6×6 STANDARD TRUCK, with closed cab, towing a +155-mm. howitzer off the ramp of an LST (top); beachhead loaded with +ammunition, oil drums, and other equipment (bottom). The barrage +balloons over the LST’s in the background of bottom picture helped +to protect the ships from Japanese dive bombers. Balloons had been +let down because of heavy rains. So rapidly were troops and equipment +sent in that by the middle of November 34,000 men and 23,000 tons of +supplies had been put ashore.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: RESULTS OF JAPANESE AIR RAID over Bougainville, 20 +November. Fuel-dump fire raging on nearby Puruata Island; note wrecked +landing craft in foreground (top). Fire and wreckage can be seen in +background of the 90-mm. antiaircraft gun M1A1 which was hit during the +night of 19-20 November, killing five men and wounding eight (bottom). +Again on 21 November the same area was struck and fires continued all +night, this time destroying a trailer loaded with 3,000 rounds of +mortar ammunition and artillery propelling charges.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: DOUGLAS TRANSPORT C-47 dropping supplies and equipment +on an uncompleted airstrip, 30 November 1943 (top); members of a +construction battalion laying pierced planking across a runway in +the Cape Torokina area, 2 December (bottom). By the end of the +year three airfields had been put into operation. The mission of +the forces on the island at this time was to maintain a defensive +perimeter, approximately ten miles long and five miles deep, guarding +installations in the Empress Augusta Bay area.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN ON GUARD near the Laruma River, 16 November, +man a .30-caliber heavy barrel machine gun M1919A4, flexible. This gun +was an automatic, recoil-operated, belt-fed, air-cooled machine gun +(top). Taking time out to make a batch of fudge, these men are using +mess kits as cooking pans. Note treatment of identification tags (dog +tags) on center man. Binding the edges of the tags eliminated the +noise and made them more comfortable (bottom). Instead of infantrymen +slugging it out on the ground, land-based bombers neutralized enemy +airfields in the Buka-Bonis Plantation area of northern Bougainville, +and American cruisers and destroyers shelled enemy coastal positions.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: ADDITIONAL TROOPS ARRIVING ON BOUGAINVILLE, 25 December +1943. Trucks in foreground are 4-ton 6×6’s (top). 40-mm. automatic +antiaircraft gun M1 on carriage M2 in position to protect landing +operations; loaded ships in background are LST’s (bottom). Troops +continued to land at the base established on Cape Torokina for two +months after the invasion.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MAIL CALL NEAR THE FRONT LINES (top). Message center in +operation, 9 January 1944; note the lamp shade improvised from a tin +can (bottom). By this time Allied air and naval power had isolated the +enemy; his line of communication to Rabaul had been severed.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: LITTER PATIENT being carried by medical aid men into an +underground surgery room (top). Emergency operation being performed in +a dugout. This underground surgery room was dug about four feet below +the surface and the sides were built up with sand bags and roofed with +heavy logs. The entire structure was covered with a pyramidal tent, +shielding the occupants from the sun (bottom).] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN FIRING MORTAR, located on one side of a +bitterly contested hill, at Japanese positions on the other side of the +hill, 8 March 1944. The mortar is a 60-mm. M2 on mount M2. The Japanese +forces had been ordered to drive the Allied forces from Bougainville +because of the precarious situation at Rabaul.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MEMBERS OF A PATROL CROSSING A RIVER on Bougainville. +The bamboo poles on the right in the river form a fish trap. At the +end of 1943, further offensive action on Bougainville had not been +planned because of expected new strategic plans of operations against +the enemy; however, renewed enemy activity evidenced in February 1944 +necessitated further action.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: HALF-TRACK PERSONNEL CARRIER M3 mounting a .30-caliber +machine gun parked at base of hill, its machine gun trained on a +hillside target. This vehicle was used to bring men and supplies to the +fighting lines and had seating capacity for thirteen men. The roller in +front assisted in climbing out of ditches (top). Infantrymen, walking +through a lane between barbed wire, carry 60-mm. mortar shells to the +front lines (bottom).] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: LIGHT TANKS M3A1, mounting 37-mm. guns and .30-caliber +machine guns in a combination mount in the turret, going up a steep +grade in an attempt to drive the Japanese from pillboxes on top of the +hill, 9 March 1944. Between 8 and 25 March the enemy launched several +major attacks against the Allied forces on Bougainville.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: THE SOUTHEAST SLOPE OF “BLOODY HILL” after the last +enemy had been routed. The enemy fought with his customary tenacity +and his resistance in defended positions won the grudging admiration +of the U.S. troops. By 24 April 1944, ground forces had crushed the +last important Japanese counteroffensive against the Bougainville +perimeter.] + +SOLOMON ISLANDS + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN WITH BAYONETS FIXED advance through jungle +swamp, following an M4 medium tank, to rout out the enemy, 16 March. +The conquest of the island necessitated much advance patrol work and +many mopping-up operations deep in the tropical jungle. Casualties were +heavier than in any operation since the Guadalcanal Campaign in the +Solomon chain.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration] + +AUSTRALIA + +[Illustration: AN AUSTRALIAN AIRFIELD, 18 September 1942. An Australian +sentry is on guard near a Flying Fortress in right foreground as +soldiers await planes to go to New Guinea (top); troops boarding a +C-47 transport plane for New Guinea (bottom). During the last days +of September 1942 the Allies launched a counterattack in Papua, New +Guinea, thus starting the Papua Campaign. American troops for this +action were sent to Port Moresby from Australia, partly by plane and +partly by boat.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: MEN WADING ACROSS THE SAMBOGA, near Dobodura, New +Guinea. The enemy fell back under the weight of the 28 September 1942 +attack. Australians laboriously made their way over steep mountain +trails of the Owen Stanley Range while most of the American troops, a +total of about 4,900, were flown overland to Jaure in C-47’s. This was +the first large-scale airborne troop movement of the war. Troops from +Milne Bay garrison occupied Goodenough Island early in November.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: MEN CROSSING AN IMPROVISED FOOTBRIDGE, 15 November. +From the 10th, troops advanced as rapidly as possible along the muddy +trails and waded, often breast high, through streams to approach Buna. +A surprise attack on Buna was not possible as Australian patrols had +learned that “bush wireless” carried the news of the American airborne +movement to the Japanese.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: AERIAL VIEW OF THE TERRAIN NEAR DOBODURA. The rugged +terrain of Papua includes the high Owen Stanley Range, jungles, +and impassable, malaria-infected swampy areas as well as coconut +plantations and open fields of coarse, shoulder-high kunai grass +encountered near Buna. Only one rough and steep trail existed over the +range from the Port Moresby area to the front, taking from 18 to 28 +days to traverse on foot; however, American troops and supplies flown +over the range made the trip in about 45 minutes.] + +AUSTRALIA + +[Illustration: MEN BOARDING THE ARMY TRANSPORT _GEORGE TAYLOR_ in +Brisbane, Australia, for New Guinea on 15 November. The Papua Campaign +and the almost simultaneous action on Guadalcanal were the first +victorious operations of U.S. ground forces against the Japanese.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: SOLDIERS CARRYING RATIONS ALONG A TRAIL for the troops +at the front, 24 December. Only a few trails led from Allied positions +to the enemy’s fortified areas at Buna and Sanananda. Food was so short +during November and the early part of December that troops sometimes +received only a small portion of a C ration each day. The rain, +alternating with stifling jungle heat, and the insects seemed more +determined than the enemy; disease inflicted more casualties than the +Japanese.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: FIRING A 60-MM. MORTAR M2 into the enemy lines at Buna +Mission. Because of transportation difficulties which lasted until the +end of November, only about one third of the mortars were brought with +the troops. Allied attacks were made on both Sanananda and Buna with no +material gains.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: BREN-GUN CARRIERS, disabled in an attack on 5 December. +These full-track, high-speed cargo carriers, designed to transport +personnel, ammunition, and accessories, were produced for the British +only. The presence of several Bren-gun carriers proved a surprise +to the enemy. However, enemy soldiers picked off the exposed crews +and tossed grenades over the sides of the carriers. In a short time +they were all immobilized and infantry following behind them met with +intense fire from the enemy’s defenses.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: AMERICAN LIGHT TANKS M3, mounting 37-mm. guns, near +the Duropa Plantation on 21 December 1942. During the latter part of +December, tanks arrived by boat. Only one 105-mm. howitzer was used +in the campaign and it was brought to the front by plane. After many +setbacks, Buna Village was captured on 14 December. Although Allied +attacks at various points were often unsuccessful, the Japanese, +suffering from lack of supplies and reinforcements, finally capitulated +on 2 January 1943 at Buna Mission.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: U.S. SOLDIERS FIRING A 37-MM. GUN M3A1 into enemy +positions. The 37-mm. gun was the lightest weapon of the field-gun type +used by the U.S. Army. Japanese tactics during the Buna campaign were +strictly defensive; for the most part the enemy dug himself in and +waited for Allied troops to cross his final protective line.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: A NATIVE DRAWING A MAP to show the position of the +enemy forces. In general, the islanders were very friendly to the +Allies; their work throughout the campaign, in moving supplies over the +treacherous trails and in rescuing Allied survivors of downed aircraft, +was excellent.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN READY TO FIRE .30-CALIBER M1 RIFLES into +an enemy dugout before entering it for inspection (top); looking at a +captured Japanese antiaircraft gun found in a bombproof shelter in the +Buna area (bottom). Enemy fortifications covered all the approaches to +his bases except by sea, and were not easily discerned because of fast +growing tropical vegetation which gave them a natural camouflage.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: CONSTRUCTING A CORDUROY ROAD with the help of the +natives in New Guinea. Constant work was maintained to make routes +passable for jeeps. Construction of airstrips near Dobodura and +Popondetta, underway by 18 November, was assigned the highest priority +because of the lack of a harbor in the area. Some supplies were flown +to the airstrips and some arrived by sea through reef-studded coastal +waters near Ora Bay. The last vital transport link was formed by a few +jeeps and native carriers who delivered the supplies to dumps just +beyond the range of enemy small arms fire.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: ADVANCE PATROL CREEPING ALONG A BEACH to its objective +just ahead, 21 January 1943. Attacks from all sides by the American and +Australian units in their drive toward Sanananda met with stiff enemy +resistance after Buna Mission had been captured.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: CROSSING A JAPANESE FOOTBRIDGE, 22 January 1943. +Converging attacks by Allied units, starting on 17 January, isolated +the enemy units and by 22 January the Papua Campaign came to a close. +This long, hard counteroffensive freed Australia from the imminent +threat of invasion and gave the Allies a toe hold in the New Guinea +area of enemy defenses protecting Rabaul, one of the main Japanese +positions in the Pacific.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: WOUNDED AMERICAN AND AUSTRALIAN SOLDIERS waiting to be +evacuated. Natives often acted as litter bearers for casualties. Of +the 13,645 American troops taking part in the Papua Campaign, 671 were +killed, 2,172 wounded, and about 8,000 evacuated sick. Troops fighting +in this campaign learned the art of jungle warfare which proved of +immense value in training divisions for subsequent operations.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: ENEMY PRISONERS being fed canned rations by Australian +soldiers. The enemy suffered heavy casualties in the Papua Campaign. +Disease and starvation claimed many; only a few were evacuated and +about 350 were captured by Allied troops.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: ANTIAIRCRAFT CREWS MANNING THEIR GUNS in New Guinea; +3-inch antiaircraft gun M3 (top) and 40-mm. automatic antiaircraft +gun M1 (bottom). On 29 January American transport planes began to +ferry troops from Port Moresby to Wau, about 30 miles inland from the +northeast coast of New Guinea. As the troops unloaded, they rushed to +defenses around the edge of the field since the Japanese were then +within easy rifle range of the airstrip. The next day a determined +enemy attack was repulsed. On 3 February the Japanese began to +withdraw.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: TAR BARRELS BURNING after a Japanese bombing raid, May +1943. After the enemy had withdrawn from the area of Wau, months of +constant fighting followed in the jungle-clad ridges between Wau and +Salamaua, during which time the enemy suffered heavy casualties. On +30 June the islands of Woodlark and Kiriwina, off the northeast coast +of Papua, were occupied. This facilitated the movement of troops and +supplies by water to that area and gained valuable new airfields for +the Allies.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: B-24 OVER SALAMAUA, on north coast of New Guinea, +during an air raid, 13 August 1943. Smoke from bomb bursts can be seen +on Salamaua. While the ground forces were battling with the enemy, +aircraft were striking at his bases at Salamaua, Lae, Finschhafen, +Madang, and Rabaul as well as at the barges and ships bringing supplies +and reinforcements to the enemy in New Guinea.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: C-47 TRANSPORT TAKING OFF FROM BUNA, New Guinea (top); +low-flying North American B-25 Mitchell medium bombers leaving Japanese +planes and installations burning on Dagua airfield, one of the enemy’s +major air bases in the Wewak area (bottom). Aircraft operating +from Port Moresby and from newly won fields in the Buna-Gona area +intensified their attacks on the enemy’s bases. A sustained five-day +air offensive against Wewak, which began on 17 August, destroyed about +250 planes on the ground and in the air at a cost of only 10 U.S. +planes.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: AIRDROP AT NADZAB at its height, with one battalion of +parachute troops descending from C-47’s (foreground), while another +battalion descends against a smoke screen and lands beyond a hill (left +background). White parachutes were used by the troops, colored ones for +supplies and ammunition. The men were dropped to seize the airdrome at +Nadzab, located some 20 miles northwest of Lae, on the morning of 5 +September 1943.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: AMERICAN AND AUSTRALIAN TROOPS CROSSING A RIVER near +Salamaua. An advance on Salamaua was initiated by Australian troops +with assistance from American units that had landed at Nassau Bay on 30 +June. This drive was an attempt to divert enemy strength from Lae, the +real objective of the Allies. As a result of this move the Japanese did +divert their reinforcements arriving at Lae to Salamaua to strengthen +their defenses there, as the Allies moved closer to the town.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: REMAINS OF SALAMAUA, 12 September 1943. Wrecked +buildings and huge bomb craters resulted from earlier aerial attacks on +the area. On this date Salamaua was taken, the final attack having been +delayed until the Lae operation was well underway. During the period +from 30 June to 16 September, a total of about 10,000 Japanese had been +overcome in the Lae-Salamaua area. About 4,100 and 2,200 were reported +killed in the vicinity of Salamaua and Lae, respectively. The remainder +made their way north as best they could.] + +New Guinea + +[Illustration: DOCKS AND INSTALLATION AT LAE, traffic moving along +the road on left. This photograph was taken on 1 September 1944. +After Finschhafen was captured by the Allies, U.S. troops halted to +consolidate their gains. Offensive operations in New Guinea during the +remainder of 1943 consisted of a slow advance toward Madang to maintain +pressure on the enemy.] + +NEW BRITAIN + +[Illustration: PARACHUTE BOMBS dropping from low-flying American +planes during a raid over Rabaul. Parachute bombs were used to prevent +self-destruction of the attacking low-flying bombers by the blasts +of their own bombs. It was claimed that more than 200 enemy aircraft +were destroyed or damaged on this raid, in addition to other materiel, +ships, and installations.] + +NEW BRITAIN + +[Illustration: ABOARD A TROOPSHIP, 14 December 1943, en route to invade +New Britain on Arawe. Infantryman relaxes on a cork life raft (top) +while two men check and reassemble a flexible, water-cooled .50-caliber +Browning machine gun M2 (bottom). While Army and Navy bombers pounded +Rabaul, landings were made on Arawe peninsula on the southern coast of +New Britain, 15 December 1943.] + +NEW BRITAIN + +[Illustration: U.S. COASTGUARD GUNNERS fighting against a determined +Japanese aerial attack during the invasion at Cape Gloucester, New +Britain. Bomb splashes can be seen in water, resulting from the enemy’s +attempt to hit the LST in foreground. This was the only effective +resistance offered by the Japanese at Cape Gloucester. The invasion +of New Britain was the climax of the drive up the Solomon-New Guinea +ladder; at the eastern end of this island was Rabaul, chief enemy base +in the Southwest Pacific.] + +NEW BRITAIN + +[Illustration: PHOTOGRAPHER FILMING ACTIVITY ON ARAWE, using a 35-mm. +Eyemo movie camera, while the beachhead was being made secure three +days after the landings on Arawe (top). Infantryman watching aircraft +from his camouflaged foxhole (bottom). Five days after the landings the +Americans had cleared the enemy from Arawe peninsula.] + +NEW BRITAIN + +[Illustration: ALLIGATOR, mounting a .50-caliber gun on the left and a +.30-caliber water-cooled machine gun on the right, coming down a slope +to a beach on Arawe for more supplies for the men on the front lines. +Armored amphibian tractors proved to be valuable assault vehicles. +They could be floated beyond the range of shore batteries, deployed in +normal landing boat formations, and driven over the fringing reefs and +up the beaches. One of the immediate missions of the forces landing on +Arawe was to establish a PT boat base.] + +NEW BRITAIN + +[Illustration: MARINES WADING THROUGH A THREE-FOOT SURF to reach +shore at Cape Gloucester. Note that they carry their rifles high. On +26 December 1943 marines landed on the western end of New Britain at +points east and west of Cape Gloucester. Their immediate objective, +the airdrome on the cape, was a desirable link in the chain of bases +necessary to permit the air forces to pave the way for further +advances.] + +NEW BRITAIN + +[Illustration: MARINES LOADED WITH EQUIPMENT go ashore to assemble +for the move forward after disembarking from an LST. Craft in the +background is an LVT; in the foreground a jeep is being pushed through +the surf. Many of the men carry litters for the expected casualties. +Troops succeeded in driving the Japanese out of the cape in four days. +The lodgments on New Britain severed one of the main enemy supply lines +between Rabaul and eastern New Guinea, and as the year drew to a close, +Rabaul was rapidly being isolated.] + +[Illustration: THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS 1942-1943] + +ALEUTIAN ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MEN ABOARD AN LST, 6 May 1943, clean their rifles and +prepare machine gun ammunition for the impending attack on Attu in +the Aleutian chain which stretches southwest from Alaska. The attack +scheduled for 7 May was delayed until the 11th because of unfavorable +weather conditions. The attack on Attu was planned in the hope that +Kiska would be made untenable, compelling the enemy to evacuate his +forces there.] + +ALEUTIAN ISLANDS + +[Illustration: LANDING BEACH in Holtz Bay area, Attu, as seen from atop +the ridge separating Holtz Bay and Chichagof Bay. In the foreground +can be seen a crashed Japanese Zero airplane. To the right, men and +equipment are unloading from landing craft. It was soon found that the +steep jagged crags, knifelike ridges, and boggy tundra greatly impeded +the troops and made impracticable any extensive use of mechanized +equipment.] + +ALEUTIAN ISLANDS + +[Illustration: TRACTOR LEAVING LCM(3); note transport and several +landing craft on horizon. A heavy fog on D Day caused several +postponements of H Hour. The first troops finally moved ashore at 1620 +on 11 May.] + +ALEUTIAN ISLANDS + +[Illustration: SUPPLIES BEING LOADED INTO TRAILERS to be taken to a +supply dump back of the beach, 12 May or D Day plus 1. The cloud of +smoke in the background is from an enemy shell; the men in the area can +be seen running to take cover (top). Men pause in the battle of the +tundra to identify approaching aircraft (bottom). Landings were made by +forces at both Massacre Bay and Holtz Bay.] + +ALEUTIAN ISLANDS + +[Illustration: 105-MM. HOWITZER M2A1 in position inland from the Holtz +Bay beachhead. The gun crews worked in haste to set up their artillery +pieces as contact was expected with the enemy at any moment.] + +ALEUTIAN ISLANDS + +[Illustration: CASUALTY BEING HOISTED FROM AN LCV into a transport. A +cradle was lowered into the landing craft, the patient and stretcher +were placed in it, then hoisted aboard ship. Landing craft in +background is an LCVP. The more serious casualties were evacuated from +Attu in the early stages of the battle.] + +ALEUTIAN ISLANDS + +[Illustration: FIELD HOSPITAL which was set up and operating on the +12th. Two of the tents were used for surgery, the other two for wards. +Foxholes were dug in the side of the hill for protection at night +(top). Casualties suffering from exposure were housed in improvised +shelters because of overcrowded wards (bottom). There were as many +casualties resulting from exposure as from Japanese bullets.] + +ALEUTIAN ISLANDS + +[Illustration: HOLDING POSITIONS IN THE PASS leading to Holtz Bay on 19 +May; in right foreground is a strong point overlooking the area, in the +background the enemy had gun positions above the fog line (top). Ponton +of the wrecked Japanese airplane found at Holtz Bay; the wooden wheel +was probably to be used by the enemy to obtain a water supply from a +nearby creek (bottom). The enemy put up a bitter fight which was to +last for eighteen days.] + +ALEUTIAN ISLANDS + +[Illustration: REST AREA ON ATTU. After returning from the front lines +on 20 May, the men busied themselves by doing some much needed laundry +and cleaning their weapons. The men needed heavy winter clothing to +help protect them from the bitter cold and damp weather.] + +ALEUTIAN ISLANDS + +[Illustration: DUAL-PURPOSE GUN near the beach, left by the Japanese +when they departed in haste. The entrance to the right of the gun leads +to an underground barracks which connected to the next gun emplacement +in the battery (top). American 105-mm. howitzer M2A1 placed on wicker +mats to help keep the gun from sinking into the tundra (bottom). Had +the enemy used the guns which were found intact at the time of the +invasion, the landing forces would have been greatly impeded.] + +ALEUTIAN ISLANDS + +[Illustration: HEAVY BARGE, loaded with a crane and other heavy +machinery, in the Massacre Bay area on 31 May 1943, having been towed +to shore by tugs. In order to get the crane off, it was necessary to +make a sand ramp leading from the shore to the deck of the barge. +Tractor at right is a 7-ton, high-speed tractor M2 (top). An oil and +gas dump; at the left can be seen a motor pool (bottom). The battle for +Attu ended on 30 May but mopping-up operations continued for several +days.] + +ALEUTIAN ISLANDS + +[Illustration: FIRST FIGHTER STRIP ESTABLISHED ON AMCHITKA, located +about seventy miles from Japanese-held Kiska. The P-40, on taxiway +ready to take off, was used before twin-engined fighter planes were +obtained. Often two 500-pound bombs were put on each of these planes, +which were used as dive bombers.] + +ALEUTIAN ISLANDS + +[Illustration: THE AIRPORT AND HARBOR OF ADAK ISLAND operating in full +swing, August 1943. Truck in right foreground is 2½-ton 6×6. Bombers +used advanced airfields, set up in August 1942 on Adak and Amchitka +Islands, to attack Attu and Kiska, two islands of the Aleutian chain +which the enemy had occupied in June 1942 in an effort to limit +American air and sea operations in the North Pacific. During the first +half of 1943, 1,500 tons of bombs were dropped on enemy positions in +the Aleutians.] + +ALEUTIAN ISLANDS + +[Illustration: LCT(5)’S AND INITIAL LANDING TROOPS on a stretch of +beach along the northwest coast of Kiska. Men can be seen moving along +the hillside like ants. At this time it was not known when the enemy +would strike since prior to landing no ground reconnaissance had been +attempted for fear of informing the enemy of the invasion.] + +ALEUTIAN ISLANDS + +[Illustration: VIEW OF THE NORTHERN PART OF KISKA HARBOR, LVT(1)’s in +foreground were known as Alligators (top). Captured Japanese machine +cannon 25-mm. twin mount type 96 in position to guard the harbor +(bottom). U.S. naval forces had encountered heavy fire from enemy shore +batteries and planes had met with antiaircraft fire through 13 August +1943. When troops landed on Kiska on 15 and 16 August, prepared for a +battle more difficult than that at Attu, the island had been evacuated +by the enemy.] + +ALEUTIAN ISLANDS + +[Illustration: SOLDIER DRYING HIS SOCKS. Occupation troops on Kiska +provided themselves with whatever comforts they could devise. With the +occupation of Kiska, U.S. troops had reclaimed all of the Aleutians. +The islands then became air bases for bombing the northern approaches +to Tokyo.] + +[Illustration: GILBERT ISLANDS] + +GILBERT ISLANDS + +[Illustration: DOUGLAS DAUNTLESS DIVE BOMBER (SBD) ready to drop its +1,000-pound bomb on Japanese-held island of Wake, 6 October 1943. +During the planning for the seizure of the Gilberts, concurrent with +action on Bougainville and in New Guinea, air attacks were made on +Marcus and Wake, and the Tarawa Atoll, to soften Japanese installations +and keep the enemy guessing as to where the next full-scale attack +would be delivered.] + +GILBERT ISLANDS + +[Illustration: TROOPS ABOARD A TRANSPORT headed for Butaritari Island +in the Makin Atoll; landing craft which have been lowered into the +water to take troops inland can be seen in the background (top). +Having just landed on one of the beaches, 20 November, the men crouch +low awaiting instructions to advance inland; light tank is in the +background (bottom). The Japanese, in September 1942, had occupied the +Gilbert Islands. This group of islands included Makin Atoll and Tarawa +Atoll. During the next year the enemy built garrisons on Butaritari +Island and on Betio Island in the Tarawa Atoll. Only small enemy forces +were placed on other islands in the Gilberts.] + +GILBERT ISLANDS + +[Illustration: A PATROL ON THE BEACHHEAD. Patrols came ashore in LVT’s +before the main body of infantry and tanks. As the amphibians came over +the coral reefs, no barbed wire, mines, or other military obstacles +impeded them.] + +GILBERT ISLANDS + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMAN with a Browning automatic rifle (BAR) +guarding a trail (top); part of the crew ready to fire machine guns +of an Alligator (bottom). Some of the men scrambled over the sides +of the amphibians to seek cover from enemy riflemen. The tactics for +knocking out the fortified emplacements on the island were as follows: +The BARman with his assistant would cover the main entrance of an +emplacement encountered, and two other men with grenades would make +ready on both flanks. They would throw grenades into the pit and then +without stopping, run to the other side and blast the entrance with +more grenades. Once the grenades exploded, the BARman and assistant +would follow up.] + +GILBERT ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MEN SEARCHING FOR SNIPERS as they move inland from the +beachhead on D Day, 20 November (top). Rifleman armed with a bazooka +crouches behind a log near the front lines (bottom). The rocket +launcher 2.36-inch M1A1, known as the bazooka, was tried against enemy +defense emplacements but met with little success.] + +GILBERT ISLANDS + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN MOVING FORWARD, 22 November, the day they +took the east tank barrier on the island. Flanking machine gun and +rifle fire from the enemy in the battered Japanese sea plane (upper +right) harassed American troops on the 21st. This fire was silenced by +the 75-mm. guns of medium tanks. Coordination between the infantry and +tanks was good on the second day.] + +GILBERT ISLANDS + +[Illustration: AMERICAN LIGHT TANKS M3A1 on Butaritari Island on D Day. +Tank in foreground had bogged down in a water-filled bomb crater (top). +The remains of a Japanese light tank which did not get into battle +(bottom). During the morning of the first day American tanks could +not make much headway against the combined obstacles of debris, shell +holes, and marsh, but by afternoon they were able to render assistance +to the infantry. The enemy had only two tanks on the island but they +were not used since when they were found wooden plugs were still in the +barrels of their guns.] + +GILBERT ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MEDIUM TANKS M3, mounting a 75-mm. gun in the sponson +and a 37-mm. gun in the turret, on Butaritari; medical crew waiting +beside their jeep for tanks to pass (top). One of the antitank gun pits +that ringed the outer defenses of one of the tank traps established by +the enemy (bottom). Air observation prior to the operation had revealed +most of the defensive construction and led to correct inference of much +that lay concealed such as these antitank emplacements.] + +GILBERT ISLANDS + +[Illustration: GUN CREW OF A 37-MM. ANTIAIRCRAFT GUN M1A2 at their +station on the island, watching for enemy aircraft. This weapon was +fully automatic, air-cooled, and could be employed against both +aircraft and tanks (top). War trophies consisting of chickens and ducks +captured on the island, were cherished in anticipation of Thanksgiving +Day when they could be used to supplement the K ration (bottom). On 22 +November it was announced that organized resistance had ended and on +the next day forces on Makin were occupied with mopping-up activities. +At this time enemy air activity was expected to increase.] + +GILBERT ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MARINES LEAVING A LOG BEACH BARRICADE, face fire-swept +open ground on Betio Island in their advance toward the immediate +objective, the Japanese airport. Landings were made under enemy fire on +Betio Island in the Tarawa Atoll on 20 November, concurrent with the +invasion of Butaritari Island, Makin Atoll. Tarawa, one of the coral +atolls which comprise the Gilbert Islands, is roughly triangular in +shape; about 18 miles long on east side, 12 miles long on south side, +and 12½ miles long on northwest side. The Japanese had concentrated +their strength on Betio Island.] + +GILBERT ISLANDS + +[Illustration: CASUALTIES BEING EVACUATED IN A RUBBER BOAT. Floated +out to the reef, the wounded were then transferred to landing craft +and removed further out to transports. The larger enemy force on Betio +Island made the operation there very difficult for Allied troops and +much more costly than the simultaneous operation on Butaritari Island +in the Makin Atoll. By late afternoon of D Day supplies for the forces +were getting ashore and reinforcements were on their way.] + +GILBERT ISLANDS + +[Illustration: ASSAULTING THE TOP OF A JAPANESE BOMBPROOF SHELTER. +Once ashore, the marines were pinned down by withering enemy fire that +came from carefully prepared emplacements in almost every direction of +advance.] + +GILBERT ISLANDS + +[Illustration: CAPTURED JAPANESE COMMAND POST with enemy tank in +foreground. Shells and bombs had little effect on this reinforced +concrete structure. Most of the command posts, ammunition dumps, and +communications centers found here were made of reinforced concrete +and were virtually bombproof. Powerful hand-to-hand infantry assault +tactics were necessary to dislodge the enemy.] + +GILBERT ISLANDS + +[Illustration: ARMORERS place a .50-caliber aircraft Browning machine +gun M2A1 in the nose of a North American B-25 at the airfield on Betio +Island as interested natives look on. This gun was considered one of +the most reliable weapons of the war.] + +GILBERT ISLANDS + +[Illustration: UNITED STATES COLORS FLYING OVER BETIO, 24 November +1943. The island was declared secure on 23 November; the remaining +enemy forces were wiped out by the 28th. Betio, with the only airfield +in Tarawa Atoll, together with captured Butaritari in Makin Atoll and +other lesser islands, gave the Allies control of the entire Gilbert +Islands archipelago. From these new bases an attack against the +Marshall Islands was launched in 1944.] + + + + +THE OFFENSIVE----1944 + + + + +SECTION III + +The Offensive----1944[3] + + +The battle of production and supply, designed to build a foundation +to support unprecedented Allied air and naval power, was won during +1942 and 1943, while Japanese air and naval power greatly diminished. +Hawaii, the most important naval base in the Pacific, had become a +training center and staging area for U.S. troops as well as one of the +many important supply bases. In 1944, the strategic offensive against +Japan began. + +[3] See Philip R. Crowl and Edmund G. Love, _Seizure in the Gilberts +and Marshalls_; and Philip R. Crowl _Campaign in the Marianas_; Robert +Ross Smith; _The Approach to the Philippines_; and M. Hamlin Cannon, +_Leyte: The Return to the Philippines_, in the series _U.S. ARMY IN +WORLD WAR II._ + +Following the invasion of the Gilberts in late 1943, U.S. forces +prepared for an assault in the western Marshalls, the principal +objective being Kwajalein and Eniwetok Atolls. According to plans for +the assault on the western Marshalls, a Marine division was to seize +the northern half of the Kwajalein Atoll, principally the islands of +Roi and Namur; Army ground forces units were to capture the southern +half of the atoll, including the island of Kwajalein, and to occupy +Majuro Island, one of the finest naval anchorages west of Pearl Harbor. +Supporting naval and air bombardment and artillery fire (the artillery +had been ferried ashore on the small nearby islands) were brought to +bear on the selected landing beaches of Kwajalein and Roi Islands of +Kwajalein Atoll. Unopposed landings were made on both islands on 1 +February 1944, with slight resistance developing after advance was +made inland. Six days after the main landings, all the islands of +the Kwajalein Atoll were in U.S. hands and Majuro had been occupied. +On 17 February landings were made on the islands of Eniwetok Atoll; +resistance was wiped out five days later. A two-day strike against +Truk, 16 and 17 February, was executed by a large carrier task force to +screen the assault of the Eniwetok Atoll and to test strength of the +Japanese base there. + +Although the strong enemy island bases in the eastern Marshalls +were bypassed, the air forces maintained continual attacks on them +throughout the year. Conquest of the western Marshalls provided air +bases and a new forward fleet base in the Pacific. + +The Mariana Islands, the next objective in the Central Pacific, differ +from the coral atolls of the Marshalls and Gilberts. The individual +islands are much larger and the distinguishing terrain features are +precipitous coast lines, high hills, and deep ravines. Plans were made, +ships and supplies collected, and the troops given special training for +the invasion; meanwhile Japanese air and ground reinforcements poured +into the Central Pacific. + +An intense air offensive against enemy installations in the Marianas +began on 11 June 1944 and a naval bombardment of Saipan began on the +13th, two days before the landings on the 15th. Opposition was heavy +at first, but by the 25th U.S. troops, supported by tanks, heavy +artillery, renewed naval gunfire, and aerial bombardment, drove the +enemy from the high ground on the central part of the island. Again +advances were slow and difficult with heavy troop losses. On 9 July the +mission was completed, except for mopping-up operations which continued +for nearly two months. + +On the morning of 24 July an attack was made on Tinian, supported by +artillery on Saipan. Enemy resistance, slight for first two days, +increased when high ground was reached in the central part of the +island. The entire island was overrun by 1 August. + +Meanwhile, Guam had been invaded on 21 July by U.S. forces in two +separate landings. This invasion was preceded by a thirteen-day +aerial and naval softening-up process. The two beachheads were joined +after three days of fighting. The troops, greatly hampered by heavy +undergrowth, concentrated on the high ground in the northern part of +the island and, except for resistance from small groups of scattered +Japanese, were in command of the island by 10 August. + +A force of nearly 800 ships from the Guadalcanal area sailed for the +Palau Islands, the next hop in the Central Pacific. Marines landed on +Peleliu Island on 15 September while Army units landed on Angaur on +the 17th. These were the two southernmost islands of the Palau group. +Opposition on Angaur was relatively light. Much stiffer resistance was +met on Peleliu, which contained the site of the major Japanese airfield +on the islands. The troops succeeded, by 12 October, in pushing the +enemy into a small area in the central hills of Peleliu, but many more +weeks were spent destroying the remaining opposition. + +During the fighting in the southern Palaus, Ulithi Atoll in the western +Carolines was taken to secure a naval anchorage in the western Pacific. +Air attack against bypassed islands was maintained. Meanwhile, huge air +bases were being developed in the Marianas for use by B-29 bombers. On +24 November B-29’s operating from Saipan made the first of a series of +attacks on Tokyo. + +Concurrent with the operations in the Marshalls, Marianas, Palaus, and +Carolines, forces of the Southwest Pacific Area moved swiftly along the +northern coast of New Guinea, jumped to Vogelkop Peninsula, and then +to Morotai and on into the Philippines. The first amphibious advance +of 1944 in this area was made on 2 January at Saidor, to capture the +airport there. The next major advance was begun early on the morning of +29 February when a landing was effected on Los Negros in the Admiralty +Islands. The Japanese sent reinforcements from Manus Island, separated +from Los Negros by only 100 yards of water. Except for isolated groups +of enemy troops, Los Negros was cleared on the 23d and Momote airfield, +on the east coast, was ready for operation. Manus Island was invaded on +15 March, after the seizure of a few smaller islands, and an airfield +there was captured the next day. At the end of April most of the enemy +had been cleared from the Admiralties. + +In New Britain the beachheads established in 1943 were expanded. On 6 +March another landing took place on Willaumez Peninsula on the north +coast. This operation, together with the establishment of airfields +in the Admiralties and the occupation of Green and Emirau Islands, +completed the encirclement and neutralization of Rabaul, the once +powerful Japanese base. On 26 November U.S. units left New Britain, the +enemy being contained on the Gazelle Peninsula by the Australians. + +In New Guinea, after the Saidor operation, the enemy organized his +defenses in the coastal area between Wewak and Madang. Surprise +landings by U.S. troops were made at Aitape and Hollandia, both west +of Wewak, on 22 April. Within five days the airfields at Hollandia and +Aitape were in Allied possession. In July 1944 the Japanese Army, which +had moved up the coast from Wewak, attacked the Allied perimeter at +Aitape. Within a month the Japanese had been thrown back toward Wewak. +At the end of the year Australian troops, which had begun relieving +U.S. forces at Aitape in October, started a drive on Wewak from the +west. While the enemy was bottled up in this area, the Allies continued +to leap-frog up the New Guinea coast. + +On 17 May forces debarked at Arare, 125 miles northwest of Hollandia, +and established a strong beachhead. Wakdé Island, just offshore, was +assaulted the next day and was secured by the 19th. + +Other units assaulted the island of Biak on 27 May to seize additional +air base sites. Here considerable resistance was met and the island +with its airfields was not secured until August. Noemfoor Island, where +three airfields were located, was invaded on 2 July by troops which +landed at points where reefs made invasion hazardous. The Noemfoor +airstrips were captured by night of the 6th. The last landing on New +Guinea was an unopposed one made on 30 July in the Cape Sansapor area, +on the northwestern coast of the Vogelkop Peninsula. The Japanese in +New Guinea had been eliminated from the war. + +Another air base site on the southern tip of Morotai Island, northwest +of the Vogelkop Peninsula, was seized on 15 September at slight cost. +The invasion of Morotai, lying between New Guinea and the Philippines, +was the last major operation undertaken by Southwest Pacific forces +before the attack on the Philippines in October. + +Prior to the invasion of the Philippines a seven-day air attack, +beginning on 10 October, was undertaken against enemy bases on the +Ryukyu Islands, Formosa, and Luzon. On 17 October, Suluan, Homonhon, +and Dinagat Islands, guarding Leyte Gulf where the main invasion was to +be made, were captured. + +Despite all this activity, strategic surprise proved complete when, on +20 October 1944, the assault forces landed on Leyte. Heavy opposition +was encountered on only one of the many beaches. Throughout the +entire campaign, opposition at times was fierce although it came from +relatively small units or from separate defense positions. Between 23 +and 26 October the naval battle for Leyte Gulf took place. The enemy +made every effort to hold Leyte; reinforcements were rushed in by +every means available to them and during November an all-out struggle +for Leyte developed. Bad weather conditions in November seriously +interfered with the supply of U.S. forces and with air operations. +On 7 December U.S. troops landed on the west coast of Leyte at Ormoc +to place new strength at the rear of Japanese forces holding out in +northwestern Leyte and to prevent the Japanese from landing any more +reinforcements in the Ormoc area. By 26 December Leyte was declared +secured but mopping up against strong resistance continued for several +months. + +PACIFIC ISLANDS + +[Illustration] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: NEW GUINEA OPERATIONS] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: SOLDIERS DEMONSTRATE METHODS OF JUDO (top); training in +the technique of uphill attack (bottom). In the early fighting against +the Japanese, the tropical battlegrounds of the South and Southwest +Pacific imposed severe difficulties on the U.S. forces. Operations were +hampered by a jungle-wise enemy whose tactics and weapons were well +adapted to the terrain. In October 1942 U.S. commanders were directed +to begin a program of training which would include specialized training +in close-in fighting, judo, firing from trees and other elevated +positions, map reading, and use of the compass for movement through +dense undergrowth.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMAN CLIMBING OVER A BARBED WIRE FENCE during +training at the Unit Jungle Training Center which was opened in +September 1943 in Hawaii. The physical conditioning of troops was +accomplished by cross-country marches over difficult terrain, mountain +climbing, and vigorous exercises which simulated conditions of actual +combat. Obstacle courses were constructed to further harden the troops. +The mission of this center was to prepare troops for combat against the +Japanese in difficult terrain, by day or night, under all conditions.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: TRAINEE JUMPING THROUGH BURNING OIL (top); hip-shooting +with .30-caliber machine guns during jungle training (bottom). +Emphasis was placed on specialized training in patrolling, ambushing, +hip-shooting, stream-crossing expedients, and jungle living. Training +was also given in the assault of fortified areas, hand-to-hand combat, +and the use of demolitions. As the varied problems of assaulting the +Pacific islands arose, the training was changed to suit the particular +requirements.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: CLASS INSTRUCTION IN STREET AND HOUSE-TO-HOUSE FIGHTING +(top); Medical Corps men move a soldier off a field under machine gun +fire during training at the Jungle Training Center (bottom). The course +in first aid and sanitation emphasized those aspects of the subject +which pertained to combat conditions in the Pacific. Training in jungle +living covered all phases of survival in the jungle terrain, on the +open seas, and on Pacific atolls.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: SOLDIER WEARING A CAMOUFLAGE SUIT fires a .45-caliber +Thompson submachine gun M1928A1 during street-fighting course at the +Jungle Training Center. The magnitude of the training given was vast. +In the Hawaiian area alone, more than 250,000 men were trained for +combat by these schools; additional men trained in the South Pacific +and on Saipan brought the total to well over 300,000.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: AN 81-MM. MORTAR M1 set up in a position in the jungle +during training. The value of the training received was demonstrated in +every area of the Pacific. As the U.S. forces went into the Solomons, +New Guinea, the Gilberts, the Marianas, the Ryukus, the Philippines, +and other Pacific islands held by the Japanese, their victories were +made less costly by the intensive training they had received at the +various jungle training centers. Ten Army divisions and non-divisional +Army units, as well as some Air Forces, Marine, and Navy personnel, +were trained at these centers.] + +MARSHALL ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MEDIUM TANKS M4A1 WITH 75-MM. GUNS, going ashore on +Kwajalein. The stacks, at the rear of the tanks, were used to extend +the vented openings; unvented openings were sealed with tape and +sealing compound to render the hulls watertight. Waterproofed vehicles +could be operated satisfactorily in water deeper than otherwise +possible, permitting them to wade in from landing craft halted at +greater distances from shore.] + +MARSHALL ISLANDS + +[Illustration: WATERPROOFED JEEP heading from ship to shore during +the Kwajalein battle. Jeeps were prepared for fording by sealing the +individual components and extending air and exhaust vents above the +water level. Artillery that was ferried ashore on the smaller islands +registered its fire on the selected landing beaches of Kwajalein and +Roi, shifting fire inland two minutes before the leading assault waves +hit the beaches.] + +MARSHALL ISLANDS + +[Illustration: WRECKAGE OF A JAPANESE POWER INSTALLATION found on one +of the islands in the Kwajalein Atoll on 31 January 1944. As a result +of the air, naval, and artillery bombardment, the islands were greatly +damaged. With exception of rubble left by concrete structures, there +were no buildings standing; all those which had been made of any +material other than concrete were completely demolished.] + +MARSHALL ISLANDS + +[Illustration: FIRING A 37-MM. ANTITANK GUN M3A1 at an enemy pillbox, +31 January. The operations on Roi, Namur, and Kwajalein consisted +mostly of ferreting the enemy from his concrete pillboxes.] + +MARSHALL ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MACHINE GUNS AND AUTOMATIC RIFLES cover advancing +infantrymen as a tank and tank destroyer, in background, move forward. +The machine gun in foreground is a .30-caliber M1919A4. Tanks helped +cover the advance of the foot soldier and clear roadways for vehicles.] + +MARSHALL ISLANDS + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN, supported by a medium tank M4A1, move +forward to wipe out the remaining enemy on the island. The fire raging +in the background is the result of pre-invasion bombing and shelling.] + +MARSHALL ISLANDS + +[Illustration: TROOPS MOVING A 37-MM. ANTITANK GUN over war-torn +Kwajalein, 1 February. Before the attacks in the Marshalls, the enemy +had a force of about 8,000 men on the islands to guard airfields.] + +MARSHALL ISLANDS + +[Illustration: ROUTING THE ENEMY FROM DEFENSIVE POSITIONS, Kwajalein +Atoll. Infantrymen poised to enter a well-camouflaged enemy dugout +(top). Using a flame thrower to burn out the enemy from his positions; +portion of rifle in right foreground is the .30-caliber M1 with fixed +bayonet (bottom). The concrete pillboxes built by the enemy on Roi, +Namur, and Kwajalein were, in general, effectively reduced by bazookas +and flame throwers.] + +MARSHALL ISLANDS + +[Illustration: .30-CALIBER BROWNING WATER-COOLED MACHINE GUN M1917A1 +set up amid rubble on Kwajalein. Water-cooling the barrel of this gun +permitted sustained fire over comparatively long periods (top). Men +taking time out (bottom). The ground was occupied yard by yard with the +aid of air and naval fire and additional flank landings.] + +MARSHALL ISLANDS + +[Illustration: GUN MOTOR CARRIAGE M10, used to blast pillboxes on +Kwajalein. This weapon, called a tank destroyer, was mounted on the +medium tank chassis and had a 3-inch gun M17 in a semi-open turret, +and a .50-caliber machine gun at the rear of the turret for protection +against low-flying planes. Six days after the main landings had taken +place, Kwajalein was in U.S. hands.] + +CAROLINE ISLANDS + +[Illustration: CONSOLIDATED LIBERATOR HEAVY BOMBERS, B-24’s, raining +500-pound bombs on Truk in the Caroline Islands as part of a +two-day strike executed to screen the assault on Eniwetok Atoll in +the northwestern Marshalls. The strong enemy bases in the eastern +Marshalls, bypassed when the western Marshalls were invaded, were +continually harassed by air attack in 1944.] + +CAROLINE ISLANDS + +[Illustration: ENEMY SHIPS ON FIRE, the result of direct hits during +the 17-18 February air raid on Truk. During the two-day strike, 270 +enemy aircraft and 32 of his ships were destroyed.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: INVASION TROOPS AND SUPPLIES ready for the run in to +Saipan, 15 June 1944. Craft in left foreground are LCVP; an LCM(3) +can be seen just behind them. The capture of the Marianas would sever +the principal enemy north-south axis of sea communications through +the Central Pacific, would become the initial step in the isolation +and neutralization of the large enemy base at Truk, and would furnish +staging areas and air bases for future offensives.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN DISPERSE FOR BETTER PROTECTION as they +approach the front lines (top). Jeep, pulling a 37-mm. antitank M3A1, +passes a group of men who are advancing toward a small Japanese +settlement (bottom). Prior to the invasion on 15 June, a two-day naval +bombardment was directed at Saipan. During the first four days of the +attack on the island, Japanese artillery and mortar fire exacted a +heavy toll from the invaders.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: TROOPS RESTING beside the narrow gauge Japanese railroad +on Saipan (top); wounded cameraman with a speed graphic camera SC PH +104 (bottom). The strong resistance and heavy casualty rate made it +necessary to commit reinforcements on D plus 1. By midday of the 19th +troops had captured the airfield and driven to the east coast of the +island.] + +PHILIPPINE SEA + +[Illustration: JAPANESE DIVE BOMBER PLUNGING TOWARD THE SEA, downed +by antiaircraft fire from a Navy carrier during the Battle of the +Philippine Sea, which started on 19 June. Aircraft in the foreground +are Grumman Avengers (TBF-1 torpedo bombers). A Japanese naval force +approaching the Marianas caused U.S. ships at Saipan, except for those +unloading the most necessary supplies, to withdraw to the east. Troops +ashore were left without naval gunfire, air support, or sufficient +supplies.] + +PHILIPPINE SEA + +[Illustration: JAPANESE FLEET UNDER ATTACK by aircraft from carriers +operating west of the Marianas. In the late afternoon of 20 June the +enemy fleet was discovered at extreme range and shortly before sunset +U.S. carrier planes took off. In this attack the Japanese lost one +carrier and two tankers; four carriers, one battleship, one cruiser, +and one tanker were severely damaged. The Battle of the Philippine Sea +broke the enemy effort to reinforce the Marianas.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: TRACTOR TOWING A 155-MM. GUN OVER A PONTON CAUSEWAY +reaching from an LST to shore on Saipan. The tractor is a high-speed +18-ton M4 model; the 155-mm. gun M1A1 is mounted on an M1 carriage +(top). A landing vehicle, tracked, provides a shady spot for a game of +cards during a lull in the fighting; this armored amphibian LVT (A) (4) +was the same as the LVT (A) (1) except for an M8 75-mm. howitzer turret +which replaced the 37-mm. gun (bottom). On Saipan tanks and heavy +artillery added the weight of their guns to renewed naval gunfire and +aerial bombardment after the Battle of the Philippine Sea.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: A .50-CALIBER MULTIPLE MACHINE GUN EMPLACEMENT (top); a +75-mm. howitzer motor carriage M8 (bottom). The enemy had been driven +out of the high ground in the central part of the island by the 25th. +After that, moderate daily advances were made over steep hills and +through deep ravines in the north.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN ADVANCING ALONG A ROAD ON SAIPAN to blast +an enemy pillbox beyond the next ridge. The 105-mm. howitzer motor +carriage M7 in the left background was called the “Priest.” This +vehicle was based on a medium tank M3 chassis. During the night of 6-7 +July the enemy made a massed counterattack which gained some ground and +inflicted heavy losses on U.S. troops. The lost ground was recovered by +the end of the 7th and the advance was renewed the next day.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MARINE USING A FLAME THROWER TO ROUT THE ENEMY from a +cave turns his face from the intense heat. The two men in the center +foreground are watching to intercept any of the enemy who might try +to escape. Note casualty on ground to the right of the two men. On 9 +July organized resistance ceased but thousands of the enemy remained +scattered throughout the island in small groups.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: 2.36-INCH ROCKET LAUNCHER M9 being fired into a cave +on Saipan, 28 July. These launchers, called bazookas, were usually +equipped with a flash deflector to protect the operator from unburned +powder as the rocket left the tube. The bazooka was employed against +tanks, armored vehicles, pillboxes, and other enemy emplacements. +Operations to rid the island of the enemy continued for nearly two +months after organized fighting had ceased.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: STREET FIGHTING IN GARAPAN, SAIPAN. Enemy buildings and +installations were set afire by supporting artillery barrage before +troops entered the town to engage the enemy. About 2,100 Japanese out +of the original garrison of 29,000 on Saipan were taken prisoner. +American casualties were approximately 3,100 killed, 300 missing, and +13,100 wounded.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: 155-MM. HOWITZER M1 ON CARRIAGE M1, on Tinian in the +Marianas, 28 July 1944. The assault on Tinian was made on the morning +of 24 July. By evening of the 27th the two divisions ashore had control +of half the island. Enemy resistance, light at first, increased as the +high ground in central part of the island was reached. On 1 August the +remaining part of the island was overrun.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: RESULTS OF A JAPANESE NOON RAID ON SAIPAN, November +1944 (note foamite on wing in foreground). Fire fighters attempted to +quell the blaze of burning aircraft caught on the ground by the enemy. +Before the fighting ended on Saipan, U.S. aircraft were operating from +the captured airfield. Along with carrier-based planes, they supported +ground troops landing on Tinian and Guam.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: JAPANESE AIRCRAFT FOUND ON SAIPAN. A single-engined +fighter plane (top) and the wreckage of bombers (bottom). Japanese +aircraft markings usually consisted of a large red disc on the top +and bottom of the outer section of each wing and on each side of the +fuselage. The side marking was omitted on their Army aircraft but +retained on Navy aircraft. Occasionally the red disc was surrounded by +a narrow white line.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: CAPTURED ENEMY EQUIPMENT ON SAIPAN. Type 93, 13.2-mm. +machine gun mounted on a naval-type pedestal, dual-purpose single +mount, which could be used emplaced on a dual-purpose position or +emplaced solely for antiaircraft fire or only for ground fire (top). A +Type 97 medium tank mounting a 47-mm. tank gun and weighing 15 tons; +its manually operated turret could be traversed 360 degrees (bottom).] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MEN WADING ASHORE AT GUAM keep together and follow the +shallowest area around the reef; amphibian vehicle on right is bringing +in supplies and equipment (top). A beachhead casualty being evacuated +in an LCM (3) (bottom). Guam was attacked on 21 July, three days before +the landings on Tinian. A thirteen-day air and naval softening-up +barrage was directed at Guam before the invasion.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN ON HIGH GROUND ABOVE AGAT BEACH keep their +bayonets fixed for expected contact with the enemy. Vegetation is +typical of much of the high ground in central Guam. Two separate +landings were made by Marines and Army ground troops about 7½ miles +apart on either side of Orote Peninsula on the western side of Guam.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MEDIUM TRACTOR M5 dragging sleds of ammunition to the +front as a jeep equipped to lay wire waits on the side of the road. +Tropical rains and constant traffic produced a sea of mud on the roads +to the dumps. It often took a tractor such as this three hours to make +a round trip from the beach to the supply dump, a distance in some +cases of only 600 yards. The two beachheads were joined after three +days of fighting. Orote Peninsula with its harbor and airstrip was +gained when the cut-off enemy in this area was wiped out.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: CLOSING IN ON AN ENEMY POSITION. Explosives being used +to destroy a dugout (top); note 37-mm. antitank gun M3A1 (bottom). +On 30 July American units made an attack toward the north end of the +island.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: ENEMY BEING ROUTED FROM ONE OF MANY CAVES ON GUAM; +before dynamite charges were set in his pillboxes, dugouts, and caves, +he was given a chance to surrender (top). Men washing behind the +defensive line after a long hard trek (bottom). The advance to the +north end of the island was considerably hampered by jungle terrain. +The enemy put up a stubborn defense on the high ground in the north and +organized resistance did not cease until 10 August.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: OBSERVERS USING AN OBSERVATION TELESCOPE M49 watch for +signs of the enemy from the high ground (top). Two burning medium tanks +M4A1 hit by enemy antitank guns near Yigo (bottom). As on Saipan, +wiping out scattered enemy forces continued long after the main battle +was over.] + +MARIANA ISLANDS + +[Illustration: B-24’S APPROACHING FOR AN ATTACK on Yap Island, 20 +August 1944. Aircraft operating from fields on Saipan had supported +landings on Tinian and Guam and struck at enemy installations in the +northern Marianas, and the Bonin, Volcano, Palau, Ulithi, Yap, and +Ngulu islands. The next hop of the American ground forces was to the +Palau Islands.] + +PALAU ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MARINES PINNED DOWN BY ENEMY FIRE on Peleliu Island in +the Palaus. An American force from Guadalcanal assaulted Peleliu on 15 +September and Anguar on 17 September, the two southernmost islands in +the Palau group. Peleliu was the site of the major Japanese airfield in +the group of islands and Angaur was important as a suitable location +for the construction of a large-size bomber base.] + +PALAU ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MEN STRUGGLE UP A STEEP SLOPE ON PELELIU. The assault +of this island was met with considerable opposition. On D day the +enemy, supported by tanks, launched a counterattack against the landing +forces. This attack was repulsed and the next day the airfield was +captured.] + +PALAU ISLANDS + +[Illustration: BATTLE-WEARY MARINE grins at cameraman during the hard +fight on Peleliu. Note hand grenades within easy reach on shirt. After +the airfield was seized, attack was made to the north against heavily +fortified enemy positions in the hills. Progress over the rough terrain +was very slow. The enemy was forced into a small area in the central +part of the island by 9 October and it took many more weeks to ferret +him out.] + +PALAU ISLANDS + +[Illustration: THE VOUGHT KINGFISHER two-seat observation seaplane +OS2U-3 flies over firing ships and landing craft which carried invading +forces to the shores of Angaur. The final loading of men used in the +operations at Angaur and Peleliu was made in the Solomons.] + +PALAU ISLANDS + +[Illustration: RAGING FIRE OF AN AMERICAN AMMUNITION DUMP after a +direct hit by an enemy mortar. Compared with the battle on Peleliu, +opposition was considered fairly light on Angaur. No landings were +planned on Babelthuap Island, the largest and most strongly garrisoned +island in the Palau group.] + +PALAU ISLANDS + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN ON ANGAUR PASS AN ENEMY CASUALTY lying +across the narrow gauge railroad of the island. Tanks are medium +M4A4’s. Remaining groups of the enemy were holed up in the northwest +part of the island. Angaur was declared secure on 20 September, though +some fighting continued.] + +PALAU ISLANDS + +[Illustration: WAR DAMAGE FOUND ON ANGAUR near the town of Saipan. In +the Palau operation, U.S. casualties amounted to approximately 1,900 +killed, over 8,000 wounded, and about 135 missing. Enemy casualties for +this operation were about 13,600 killed and 400 captured.] + +PALAU ISLANDS + +[Illustration: FORMATION OF LIBERATORS OVER ANGAUR ISLAND. A B-24 +heavy bomber group operating from Angaur received training in raids +against the northern Palaus and the Carolines. During the latter part +of 1944 enemy bases were constantly bombed from newly acquired American +airfields.] + +ULITHI + +[Illustration: NAVY AIRCRAFT CARRIERS IN ULITHI ANCHORAGE. While +fighting continued in the Palaus, an unopposed landing was made in the +Ulithi Atoll, 23 September 1944. Steps were taken at once to develop +the anchorage at Ulithi, the best available shelter in the western +Carolines for large surface craft.] + +MARIANA ISLAND + +[Illustration: BOEING B-29 SUPERFORTRESS, the “Tokyo Local,” taking off +from Saipan to bomb Tokyo (top) and coming in for a landing after the +raid (bottom). Superfortresses made the first of a series of attacks on +Tokyo on 24 November 1944, operating from Saipan.] + +TOKYO + +[Illustration: FIRES which resulted from the first raid on Tokyo by +Superfortresses: note native dress of the women in the bucket-brigade +line (top). Extinguishing the fires of a blazing building; note +antiquated fire equipment (bottom). These photographs are copies of the +originals taken from Japanese files.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: LST’S UNLOADING troops and an artillery observation +plane directly on shore during the amphibious landing at Saidor +on the north coast of New Guinea, 2 January 1944 (top and bottom, +respectively). This constituted the first advance of 1944 in the +Southwest Pacific Area. Action in the Southwest and Central Areas was +concurrent in 1944.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: AERIAL VIEW OF SHORE LINE NEAR SAIDOR; ships along the +coast are LST’s. A regimental combat team landing here had the airstrip +at Saidor in use on 7 January.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: EQUIPMENT BEING FERRIED ACROSS A RIVER near Saidor +(top). Crawler-type tractor with diesel engine plowing along a muddy +road near Saidor; these tractors were mainly used to tow artillery and +equipment over rough terrain (bottom). Tropical rains in this area +greatly impeded the moving of supplies.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: HEAVILY LOADED TROOPS CROSSING A RIVER in the Saidor +area. In February reconnaissance planes reported that the Admiralty +Islands were occupied by only a few small enemy units which were +guarding the airfields there.] + +ADMIRALTY ISLANDS + +[Illustration: INVADING FORCES LOUNGE ON THE DECK OF A SHIP taking them +to Los Negros in the Admiralty Islands. These men landed on the east +shore of the island near Momote airfield on morning of 29 February +1944.] + +ADMIRALTY ISLANDS + +[Illustration: MOMOTE AIRFIELD, looking northwest on Los Negros Island, +Hyane Harbour on left (top); another view of the field, looking +northeast (bottom). Following an unopposed landing, the enemy guards at +the airfield were overcome, leaving the field in U.S. hands. During the +night of 29 February-1 March an enemy counterattack was repulsed.] + +ADMIRALTY ISLANDS + +[Illustration: 155-MM. GUN M1918M1 AND 105-MM. HOWITZER M2A1 (top and +bottom, respectively) firing on Japanese positions on Manus Island +from Los Negros, 23 March. Japanese reinforcements from Manus Island, +separated from Los Negros by about 100 yards of water, were thrown into +battle. By the 23d Los Negros, except for isolated enemy units, was +captured and the airfield was ready for operation.] + +ADMIRALTY ISLANDS + +[Illustration: CAPTURED JAPANESE NAVAL GUN BEING FIRED by an American +soldier in the Admiralties. On 15 March, after the seizure of a few +smaller islands in the Admiralties, troops landed on Manus. By the end +of April most of the enemy in the Admiralties was overcome.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: PART OF A TASK FORCE HITTING THE BEACH at Aitape, +22 April (top). Reinforcements moving inland to their bivouac area +(bottom). This landing was one of three made that day on the northern +coast of New Guinea. Earlier, the U.S. Navy pounded enemy bases in the +western Carolines and western New Guinea to prevent the Japanese from +launching attacks against these landing forces.] + +GREEN ISLAND + +[Illustration: ALLIED FORCES LANDING ON GREEN ISLAND from LST’s. +While the fighting continued in New Guinea, the Allies occupied Green +and Emirau Islands, completing the encirclement of the once powerful +Japanese base at Rabaul.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: MEDIUM TANKS AND THEIR CREWS pause in their drive toward +the airstrip during the first day ashore. Tank in the foreground is +temporarily out of use. The landing at Aitape was designed to engage +the enemy in the area and provide air support for the troops at +Hollandia.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: CAPTURED ENEMY SOLDIER BEING QUESTIONED at Aitape. The +operation there gave the Allies another airstrip.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: REMAINS OF A LIGHTNING FIGHTER PLANE P-38 which crashed +during a landing (top), and a Flying Fortress B-17 which crashed when +its right wheel gave way on an airstrip at Aitape (bottom). Since spare +parts to maintain aircraft were difficult to obtain, maintenance men +would strip crashed and crippled planes of usable parts almost before +the engines cooled.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: ENEMY OIL DUMP ABLAZE from preinvasion naval fire as +troops (top) and tanks (bottom) make their way inland from one of +the invasion bases at Hollandia. 22 April. Forces invaded Hollandia, +landing at Tanahmerah Bay and 25 miles to the east at Humbolt +Bay. Simultaneous landings were made at Aitape, 90 miles east of +Hollandia.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: HOLLANDIA AREA, NEW GUINEA, looking west from Humbolt +Bay across Jautefa Bay to Lake Sentani, center background. The lake is +approximately eight air miles inland; the three airfields were about +fifteen air miles inland, north of the lake.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: TROOPS MOVING INLAND on 22 April found the way through +the swampy areas near Hollandia difficult (top). The men exercised much +caution as they penetrated the jungle toward the Hollandia airstrips +(bottom). The landings were virtually unopposed since the enemy had +taken to the hills.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: LAKE SENTANI NEAR HOLLANDIA. Men in a “Buffalo,” +LVT(A)(2), are firing a machine gun at enemy riflemen hidden in the +bushes (top); troops wade through knee-deep water, 27 April (bottom). +Despite the dense jungle and lack of overland communications, +satisfactory progress was made. The three airfields at Hollandia were +taken within five days of the landings.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: SUPPLY OPERATIONS ON A BEACH NEAR HOLLANDIA. Trucks +lined up along the water’s edge have just been unloaded from the LST +in the background (top); a conveyor being used to help unload supplies +(bottom). As soon as the airstrips were in full operation and the port +facilities at Hollandia developed, U.S. forces were ready for further +attacks at points along the northwestern coast of New Guinea.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: 155-MM. HOWITZER M1918 firing on Japanese positions. +Only slight opposition was encountered when a regimental combat team +debarked on 17 May at Arare just east of a major enemy supply and +staging point at Sarmi.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: MAIN ROAD AT ARARE being used to transport supplies, 24 +May. On 18 May, with artillery support from the mainland, nearby Wakdé +Island was assaulted. The next day the large airfield there was taken +at a cost of about a hundred U.S. casualties.] + +BIAK ISLAND + +[Illustration: TROOPS ON BIAK ISLAND. While the positions on Wakdé and +in the Arare area were being consolidated, other units assaulted Biak, +about 200 miles to the west, on 27 May. Only slight opposition was met +during the first day ashore; on the second day the advance inland was +stopped by heavy enemy fire. On 29 May the enemy counterattacked and a +bitter battle ensued.] + +BIAK ISLAND + +[Illustration: ADVANCING INLAND ON BIAK; note cave beneath footbridge. +Biak was assaulted to broaden the front for air deployment.] + +BIAK ISLAND + +[Illustration: CAVES ON BIAK, which constituted the major Japanese +strong points, were north of the airfield. The enemy, entrenched in +other caves commanding the coastal road to the airstrips, launched +attacks on U.S. troops, thus retarding the advances.] + +BIAK ISLAND + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMAN READING AN ISSUE OF YANK MAGAZINE, just a +few feet away from an enemy casualty. The Japanese attempt to reinforce +his units on Biak was repulsed by U.S. air and naval forces and by 20 +June the ground forces had captured the three airfields on the island.] + +NOEMFOOR ISLAND + +[Illustration: COMMAND POST SET UP ON D DAY, 2 JULY, near Kamiri +airstrip on Noemfoor Island. Note camouflaged walkie-talkie, SCR +300. The troops went ashore at points where reefs and other natural +obstacles made the landings hazardous.] + +NOEMFOOR ISLAND + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN CROSS THE KAMIRI AIRSTRIP, keeping low to +avoid enemy fire (top); 60-mm. mortar emplacement near the airstrip, 2 +July (bottom). Prior to the landings on Noemfoor, Japanese airfields +near by were effectively neutralized by aerial bombardment.] + +NOEMFOOR ISLAND + +[Illustration: AIRDROP AT KAMIRI STRIP. The invasion forces on Noemfoor +were reinforced by a parachute infantry regiment which dropped directly +onto the airstrip.] + +NOEMFOOR ISLAND + +[Illustration: A PARATROOPER HANGING SUSPENDED FROM A TREE in which his +parachute was caught during the drop at Noemfoor. All three airfields +here were captured by the night of 6 July.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: WATER SPLASH FROM A DEPTH CHARGE dropped off the coast +near Cape Sansapor, 30 July 1944. An amphibious force carried out a +landing near Cape Sansapor on the Vogelkop Peninsula in western New +Guinea on the same day.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN MOVING ALONG THE BEACH at Cape Sansapor on +31 July; portion of LST in right background. The landings here were +unopposed and the construction of new airfields began at once. By this +move a large number of the enemy were bypassed and forced to begin an +immediate withdrawal to the southwest coast.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: CAPE SANSAPOR; note jetty projecting out from shore. +The landing here was the last made by U.S. forces on the shores of New +Guinea.] + +NEW GUINEA + +[Illustration: END OF AN A-20. The Douglas light bomber, caught by +Japanese flak off the coast of New Guinea near Karas Island, goes out +of control (top) and explodes (bottom).] + +MOROTAI ISLAND + +[Illustration: LCTS UNLOADING ASSAULT FORCES offshore at Morotai, +northwest of Vogelkop Peninsula. The southern tip of Morotai Island +was selected as the site for one of the last air bases needed before +invading the Philippines. D Day for this operation was 15 September, +the same day that the invasion of Peleliu in the Palau group took +place. On 30 September several airfields were made operational on the +island.] + +NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES + +[Illustration: CAMOUFLAGED JAPANESE PLANE, just before it went up in +flames from the approaching parafrag bombs, during a low-level bombing +and strafing attack on an airdrome in the Netherlands East Indies.] + +NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES + +[Illustration: RAID ON JAPANESE OIL-PRODUCING FACILITIES IN BALIKPAPAN, +Borneo, October 1944. Aircraft, returning to their base, are B-24’s. +While preparations were being made for the invasion of the Philippines, +U.S. Air Forces early in October neutralized enemy air strength on +Mindanao, attacked Japanese shipping throughout the Netherlands East +Indies, and conducted heavy raids on the oil-producing facilities in +Borneo.] + +LEYTE + +[Illustration] + +ADMIRALTY ISLANDS + +[Illustration: FINAL INSPECTION OF TROOPS at one of the staging areas +on Los Negros, an island of the Admiralty group, before they board +ships for the invasion of Leyte in the Philippines. The two Army corps +which were to be used for the invasion were to rendezvous at sea about +450 miles east of Leyte and then proceed to make simultaneous landings +on the east coast of that island.] + +ADMIRALTY ISLANDS + +[Illustration: LOADING OF MEN AND SUPPLIES AT SEEADLER HARBOUR, Los +Negros. The entire expedition comprised more than 650 ships of all +categories. Before invading Leyte, three sentinel islands guarding +Leyte Gulf, Suluan, Homonhon, and Dinagat, were taken on 17 and 18 +October, after which Navy mine sweepers cleared a channel for the +approaching armada.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: UNLOADING AT A BEACH ON LEYTE, 21 October 1944. Beyond +the two barges are several LCM (3)’s. An LVT (A)(2), the armored +Buffalo, can be seen on the beach. On 20 October landings were made +on three beaches: one in the Palo area; another between San Jose and +Dulag; and the third about fifty-five miles to the south to control +Panaon Strait which was between Leyte and the near by island of +Panaon.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: PORTION OF A LANDING BEACH ON LEYTE where Philippine +civilians left their hiding places to see the American forces. Fires +smoldering in the background were caused by preinvasion aerial +and naval bombardment. On one of the beaches heavy opposition was +encountered. Enemy mortar and artillery fire sank several landing craft +and U.S. forces had to fight their way across the beach.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: WATER SUPPLY POINT set up near a beach on Leyte, 21 +October; note the collapsible water tank. By the end of the 21st, +Tacloban, San Jose, Dulag, and two airfields were captured. Heavy +fighting continued at Palo.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN AND A MEDIUM TANK MOVING FORWARD on Leyte. +At the time of the invasion, the Japanese had only one division +stationed on Leyte. Their vital supplies at Tacloban were lost to them +on the 21st and they appeared to have no organized plan of defense, +offering resistance only at widely scattered points.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: MEN CAUTIOUSLY MOVING IN on an enemy machine gun +position, 24 October. The infantryman on the right is armed with a +.30-caliber Browning automatic rifle M1918A2. The fight for Palo ended +on 24 October when a suicidal enemy counterattack that penetrated the +center of town was repulsed.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: FIRING A 155-MM. GUN M1A1 on an advancing Japanese +column. While U.S. ground troops advanced on Leyte, the battle for +Leyte Gulf took place, 23-26 October. The enemy, using a force +comprising more than half his naval strength, suffered a crippling +blow.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: 8-INCH HOWITZERS M1 EMPLACED ON LEYTE. By 5 November +American forces reached the vicinity of Limon at the northern end of +the valley road leading to Ormoc, the principal Japanese installation +of the island. Bitter fighting continued and was made more difficult by +typhoons which inaugurated the rainy season.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: B-25 APPROACHING A JAPANESE WARSHIP in Ormoc Bay. U.S. +planes, operating from fields on Morotai, raided enemy ships in Ormoc +Bay on 2 November in an attempt to keep the Japanese from landing +reinforcements.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: DIRECT HIT ON A JAPANESE WARSHIP by a B-25 in Ormoc Bay. +Two transports and six escorting ships were sunk in the 2 November +raid; however, by 3 November the Japanese had landed some 22,000 fresh +troops at Ormoc Bay to reinforce the 16,000 original troops on Leyte.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: PHILIPPINE CIVILIANS carrying supplies to the front +for U.S. troops. Heavy rains and deep mud harassed the supply lines +and forward units were dependent on hand-carry or improvised means of +transporting supplies.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: 60-MM. MORTAR used to fire on enemy pillboxes. The +Japanese, battling fiercely, delayed but could not stop the U.S. drive +in the Ormoc valley. By the end of November troops were closing in on +Limon and were threatening Ormoc from the south.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: TROOPS USING JAPANESE HORSES AND MULE to transport their +supplies. On 1 December seven divisions were ashore and five airfields +were in operation. On 7 December a division landed south of Ormoc and +by 10 December Ormoc was captured together with great quantities of +enemy supplies and equipment. Some enemy survivors fled to the hills.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: AMERICAN MOTOR CONVOY moving through the streets of a +town on Leyte; vehicle in foreground is a cargo carrier M29. Valencia +was taken on 18 December, Libungao on 20 December. After troops moved +down from the mountains to take Cananga on 21 December, the enemy +retreated westward. The Leyte Campaign was considered closed on 26 +December but mopping-up activities continued for several months.] + +GUAM + +[Illustration: LINESMAN STRINGING COMMUNICATIONS WIRE ON GUAM stops to +watch Liberators taking off from the airfield there. During the last +part of 1944 the number of B-29’s based in the Marianas was rapidly +increased for participation in strategic bombing attacks on Japanese +industrial centers. Large-scale raids on the industry of Japan were +soon to be launched.] + +GUAM + +[Illustration: B-29’S LEAVING THEIR BASE ON GUAM for a strategic +bombing mission on Japanese industry. As 1944 drew to a close, although +the Allies had gained a foothold in the Philippines, the enemy +continued to fight with the same fanatical zeal and tenacity of purpose +as he did in the early days of the war. While his air, naval and ground +forces had been considerably reduced, he still had strong forces at his +disposal for defense.] + + + + +THE FINAL PHASE + + + + +SECTION IV + +The Final Phase[4] + + +The last three months of 1944 marked the almost complete destruction +of Japanese air power in the Philippines and the defeat of the enemy +ground forces on Leyte. In January 1945 men and equipment began to +arrive in the Pacific in ever increasing numbers. Sixth and Eighth +Armies were fighting the Japanese in the Philippines, while the Tenth +was being organized to be used later on Okinawa. The Navy and Air +Forces were also expanding in number of men, ships, and planes. + +[4] See Roy E. Appleman, James M. Burns, Russell A. Gugeler, and John +Stevens, _Okinawa: The Last Battle_. Washington D.C. 1948, in the +series _U.S. ARMY IN WORLD WAR II._ + +The next step in the reconquest of the Philippines was the battle for +Luzon. Mindoro was seized before the invasion of Luzon was launched so +that an Allied air base could be established to provide air support for +the ground operations on Luzon. On 9 January 1945 U.S. troops landed on +the beaches of Lingayen Gulf on the western side of Luzon. The landings +were virtually unopposed and assault troops advanced rapidly inland +until they came to rugged terrain and well-prepared Japanese defense. +While part of the forces were left to hold a line facing north, the +bulk of the troops turned south toward Manila, which was captured. +Bataan Peninsula was cleared of enemy troops and Corregidor was seized. +While the U.S. attack carried on to clear the southern portion of the +island, another advance through the difficult mountainous terrain in +the north got under way. This was the climax to the fighting on Luzon. + +While the battle for Luzon was in progress, other U.S. troops were +clearing the enemy pockets on Leyte and Samar and capturing the islands +in the southern Philippines with a speed and thoroughness which showed +the high degree of coordination developed by the ground, sea, and air +forces. + +By the time the fighting stopped on Luzon, U.S. troops were being +redeployed from Europe to the Pacific, and in July the first contingent +of service troops from the ETO arrived in Manila. In August the U.S. +First Army established its command post on Luzon. + +On 19 February 1945 Iwo Jima in the Bonin Islands was assaulted by +marines who, by 16 March, overcame the stubborn enemy resistance and +secured the island for an advance air base from which the U.S. Air +Forces could support the invasion of Japan. On 1 April the invasion of +Okinawa in the Ryukyus began. This island, assaulted by Marine and Army +troops, was the last in the island-hopping warfare--in fact the last of +the battles before the fall of Japan itself. As on Iwo, the enemy had +prepared elaborate defenses and fought fanatically in the unsuccessful +attempt to prevent the U.S. forces from seizing the island. Because of +its closeness to Japan, the enemy was able to attack Okinawa by air +from its home bases and air superiority had not been gained by the +Allies before the amphibious assault began. This period of fighting +was marked by Japanese suicide attacks against Allied naval ships and +the Navy sustained heavy losses, losses greater than in any other +campaign during the war. On 21 June the island was declared secure and +the next few days were spent mopping up enemy pockets. The fall of +Okinawa and Iwo gave the Allies the air bases from which the almost +daily aerial attacks on the principal industrial cities of Japan were +to be launched, as well as emergency landing fields for crippled B-29’s +returning to their more distant island bases from attacks on Japan. + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: PBY CATALINA AMPHIBIAN FLYING BOATS over the U.S. +invasion fleet in Lingayen Gulf, Luzon. The Luzon Campaign began on 9 +January 1945 when U.S. forces landed in the Lingayen-San Fabian area. +(Consolidated Vultee.)] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: MEN AND SUPPLIES COME ASHORE in the Lingayen Gulf San +Fabian area. After a heavy bombardment of the landing beaches, the +first assault troops landed on Luzon, meeting little opposition. By +nightfall the invading army had gained an initial lodgment, suffering +but few casualties.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: SUPPLIES ON THE BEACH ON LINGAYEN GULF. By the end of +the first day the beachhead was seventeen miles long and four miles +deep. Large numbers of men and great quantities of supplies were +ashore.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: U.S. INFANTRYMEN CROSSING A DAMAGED BRIDGE as they +advance inland from the beach. The advancing U.S. troops found the +bridges destroyed. Some had been destroyed in 1942 during the Japanese +conquest of the Philippines.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: FIRST-WAVE TROOPS, armed with M1 rifles, wade waist +deep through a stream en route to San Fabian, 9 January 1945. The +U.S. forces encountered undefended rice fields, small ponds, marshes, +and streams beyond the beaches. Amphibian tractors were used to ferry +troops across the deeper of these water obstacles.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: SUPPLY CONVOY CROSSING THE AGNO RIVER over a +newly completed ponton bridge near Villasis, 22 January (top). +Two-and-a-half-ton amphibian trucks unload supplies at Dagupan, on the +Agno River a short distance from Lingayen Gulf. From Dagupan they were +loaded onto trains and sent inland to the advancing troops (bottom).] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: FILIPINOS IN A RICE FIELD watching an artillery cub +plane prepare to take off near Angio, about a mile and a half inland +from the beach, 12 January (top). Filipinos working with U.S. engineer +troops assembling steel matting on an airstrip at Lingayen, 14 January +(bottom). On 17 January the Lingayen airstrip was completed and the +Far Eastern Air Forces assumed responsibility for the air support of +ground operations. By this time the Japanese had stopped sending air +reinforcement to the Philippines and during the Luzon Campaign air +superiority was in the hands of the U.S. forces.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: U.S. CASUALTY RECEIVING PLASMA at the front lines near +Damortis. The Japanese were well emplaced in the mountain areas beyond +the beaches and the U.S. artillery and armor were greatly limited in +their effectiveness by the rugged terrain. The enemy put up his first +strong opposition along the Rosario-Pozorrubio-Binalonan line, where he +had built pillboxes and dugouts of every description with artillery and +automatic weapons well hidden and camouflaged. This fighting was not +a part of the drive on Manila. The enemy casualties during the latter +part of January 1945 were much greater than those suffered by the U.S. +forces.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: JAPANESE MEDIUM TANK, Type 97 (1937) improved version +with 47-mm. antitank gun, knocked out near San Manuel (top); U.S. +medium tank, M4A3 passing a burning enemy tank, 17 January (bottom). +During the last few days of January the U.S. forces near the San +Manuel-San Quintin and Munoz Baloc areas met strong armored opposition +and severe fighting ensued. By the end of the month both objectives, +the cities of San Quintin and Munoz, were reached. Forty-five enemy +tanks were destroyed in the San Manuel fighting. Most of the enemy +tanks encountered were dug in and used as pillboxes and were not used +in actual armored maneuver.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: U.S. SOLDIER FIRING A FLAME THROWER at a Japanese +position. The only way many of the enemy positions could be knocked out +was to assault them with flame throwers.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: ARTILLERYMEN AT AN OBSERVATION POST east of Damortis, +February 1945; the officer in right foreground is using a telescope BC +M1915A1 (top). 105-mm. howitzers M2A1 firing at the city of Bamban, 26 +January 1945 (bottom). While one U.S. corps drove south toward Manila +another corps swung north and northeast from Lingayen Gulf, beginning +a four-month up-hill campaign against the Yamashita Line. This was a +name given by U.S. forces to the defense sector across the mountains of +central Luzon.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: 105-MM. HOWITZERS M2A1 firing from the grounds of Santo +Tomas University during the attack on Manila, 5 February. While some +U.S. forces continued the drive northeast from Lingayen, the remainder +of the troops began to advance on Manila. On the night of 31 January-1 +February the attack on Manila began in full force.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: MANILA DURING AN ARTILLERY ATTACK. Rafts and amphibian +tractors were used to ferry the attacking U.S. troops across the +numerous streams because the enemy had destroyed all the bridges. When +the enemy did not evacuate Manila, U.S. artillery was employed. It had +previously been hoped that it would not be necessary to shell the city. +Blocked off by white line in top picture is Intramuros. River at left +in top picture and the foreground of bottom picture is the Pasig. The +tall tower at right in bottom picture is part of the city hall, later +occupied by GHQ.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN ON THE ALERT in a street of Manila man +their .30-caliber Browning machine gun M1919A4. On 7 February 1945 the +envelopment of Manila began and by 11 February the Japanese within the +city were completely surrounded. Cavite was seized on 13 February.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: U.S. TROOPS MOVING INTO MANILA, 12 February. The +attacking forces were assigned the mission of clearing Manila, where +the fighting continued from house to house and street to street. +Despite the many enemy strong points throughout the city, the U.S. +attackers progressed steadily and by 22 February the Japanese were +forced back into the small area of the walled city, Intramuros.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: 240-MM. HOWITZER M1 firing on Intramuros, where the +walls were sixteen feet high, forty feet thick at the base, tapering +to twenty feet at the top. During the night of 22-23 February all +available artillery was moved into position and at 0730 on 23 February +the assault on Intramuros began. Once the walls were breached and the +attacking troops had entered, savage fighting ensued. On 25 February +the entire area of the walled city was in U.S. hands.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN PICK THEIR WAY ALONG A STREET of Intramuros +as a bulldozer clears away the rubble. On 4 March 1945 the last +building was cleared of the enemy and Manila was completely in U.S. +hands. In background is the downtown business section of Manila, on the +far side of the Pasig River.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: MEDIUM TANK M4A1, modified, firing on an enemy position +in the hills east of Manila, 10 March. After the fall of Manila the +U.S. forces reorganized and moved east to a line extending from +Antipolo to Mount Oro. For two days artillery and aircraft attacked +enemy positions and then ground forces attacked the hill masses +approaching Antipolo. After the fall of that city on 12 March, the +advance continued eastward over a series of mountain ridges which +ascended to Sierra Madre. While this attack progressed, another drive +to clear southern Luzon began.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: FOOD AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES BEING DROPPED to the Allied +internees at Bilibid Prison Farm near Muntinglupa, Luzon, after +they were rescued from the Japanese prison camp at Los Banos. After +the capture of Fort McKinley on 19 February, troops of the airborne +division turned east to Laguna de Bay and then southward. It was given +the dual mission of rescuing some 2,000 civilian internees at Los Banos +and destroying the enemy that had been bypassed during the advance on +Manila. Assisted by a parachute company that was dropped near the camp, +a special task force liberated the internees, and then continued to mop +up enemy troops.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: BOMB STRIKE ON A MOUNTAIN west of Bamban. Progress was +slow over the difficult terrain of the Zambales Mountains where the +Japanese had constructed pillboxes and trenches and had fortified +caves. The U.S. attack was made frontally, aided by daily air strikes, +and the enemy strong points were eliminated one by one. By 14 February +the Americans had secured the high ground commanding Fort Stotsenburg +and Clark Field.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: U.S. PARATROOPERS LANDING ON CORREGIDOR during the +invasion of the island (top); “Topside,” Corregidor (bottom). While the +U.S. advance down the Bataan Peninsula was progressing, Corregidor was +being assaulted. On 16 February 1945 a battalion of a regimental combat +team landed on the south shore of the island. A regimental combat team +was flown north from Mindoro and landed two hours before the amphibious +assault troops.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: CORREGIDOR. Paratroopers landing on the island; note +that some landed on the side of the cliff rather than on Topside, +accounting for many casualties (top). C-47 dropping supplies to the +troops which have landed (bottom). By afternoon on 16 February the +ground and airborne troops had joined forces, and before dawn of the +next day they had split the island in two.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: CREW OF A 75-MM. PACK HOWITZER M1A1 being subjected +to small arms fire on Corregidor, 17 February. At first the enemy +offered only spotty resistance but soon rallied and offered a stubborn +defense.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: PARATROOPER, armed with a U.S. carbine M1A3 with a +folding pantograph stock, fires a bazooka at an enemy pillbox on Greary +Point, Corregidor, 19 February.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: SOLDIERS LOOKING AT MALINTA HILL, Corregidor. On 27 +February 1945, Corregidor was once again in U.S. hands, although +individual Japanese soldiers were still found hiding on the island. +U.S. losses were 209 killed, 725 wounded, and 19 missing. Enemy losses +were 4,497 killed and 19 prisoners.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: CHENEY BATTERY, Corregidor, showing destruction of the +installation (top). East end of Malinta Tunnel, where the defending +U.S. troops held out during the enemy attack in 1942 (bottom). Much of +the destruction of the Corregidor installations shown in these pictures +was from enemy artillery shellings in 1942.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: BATTLE CASUALTY being placed aboard a Catalina flying +boat for evacuation to Nichols Field near Manila. The PBY patrol +bomber was extensively used in the Pacific for rescue work and usually +patrolled large areas of the ocean over which the long-range bombers +flew. These planes could land and take off from the ocean and were +equipped to handle casualties.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMEN firing a .30-caliber water-cooled machine +gun M1917A1 at the enemy in the hills of Luzon. An all-out offensive to +destroy the enemy in northern Luzon began in late February. Extremely +rugged terrain combined with enemy resistance made the advance over +the hills slow and costly. The majority of the attacking U.S. troops +attempted to gain an entry to Cagayan Valley through Balete Pass.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: 105-MM. HOWITZER MOTOR CARRIAGE M7 and infantrymen. +By 15 March 1945 the enemy was being pushed back and the U.S. forces +in northern Luzon were advancing columns up the roads to Bauang and +Baguio. The stubborn Japanese defense and the difficult terrain slowed +U.S. advances for weeks.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: VIEWS OF THE HARBOR AT MANILA showing the congested +docking area and amount of shipping. Clearing Manila Harbor and +restoring its dock facilities progressed rapidly and supply problems +were soon helped by the full use of the excellent port, which was well +located for supplying troops in the Philippines. By 15 March a total +of 10,000 tons per day was passing through the port. By the middle of +April almost two hundred sunken ships had been raised from the bottom +of the bay. Top picture shows Pier 7, one of the largest in the Far +East.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: BOMB CRATERS ON THE RUNWAY AT LIPA AIRFIELD in Batangas +Province. In southern Luzon advancing U.S. units met at Lipa and +continued the final mopping up of enemy resistance in the southern +portion of the island.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: SUPPLIES, EQUIPMENT, AND TROOPS coming ashore at Legaspi +in southeastern Luzon. Small landing craft in top picture are LCM’s; +in background is an LST. On 1 April troops landed at Legaspi and soon +overran southeastern Luzon.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: GUN TURRETS AT FORT DRUM being blasted in a low-level +aerial attack. The last enemy resistance in the Zambales Mountains +was broken up, Bataan Peninsula was cleared of enemy troops, and +the remaining enemy-held islands in Manila Bay were taken. On the +island of El Fraile, on which Fort Drum (a concrete fort shaped like +a battleship) was located, troops landed on the top of the fort and +pumped a mixture of oil and gasoline into the ventilators. When +ignited, the resulting explosions and fires destroyed the garrison.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: TROOPS ADVANCING ON A ROAD EAST OF MANILA while overhead +a P-38 drops two bombs on Japanese positions. Bitter fighting took +place over the almost inaccessible ridges and peaks of the Sierra Madre +Mountains.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: REPUBLIC P-47’s AND LOCKHEED P-38’s (top and bottom +respectively) drop napalm fire bombs on enemy positions in the +mountains east of Manila. As each bomb hit the target or ground +it would explode and burn everything over an oval-shaped area of +approximately 70 by 150 feet. The bombs were effective in eliminating +the enemy troops in their well-dug-in positions.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: 105-MM. HOWITZER MOTOR CARRIAGE M7 in the hills east of +Manila.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: 8-INCH HOWITZER M1 firing on enemy positions in Ipo +Dam area, May 1945 (top); Filipino guerrillas fighting against the +enemy in Batangas Province with the U.S. troops (bottom). Some of the +guerrillas had been fighting against the Japanese since the fall of +the Philippines in 1942. Weapon in foreground (bottom) is the standard +Japanese gas-operated, air-cooled, heavy machine gun (Type 92 (1932) +7.7-mm. Hv MG). The feed is a 30-round strip and may be seen in place, +rate of fire 450 rounds per minute.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: DIFFICULT TERRAIN. Infantrymen pushing along a muddy, +primitive road (top); a patrol moving through heavy undergrowth +(bottom).] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: U.S. TROOPS moving through mountainous terrain on their +way to Santa Fé, Luzon.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: LIGHT TANK M5 providing cover from Japanese fire for a +wounded infantryman on the road to Baguio (top). Armor and infantry on +a hillside overlooking Baguio; in the foreground is a 105-mm. howitzer +motor carriage M7, while down the slope of the hill is a 76-mm. gun +motor carriage M18 (bottom). Vehicles, like the foot soldiers, found +the going hard over the rough terrain.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: VEHICLES FORDING A RIVER in northern Luzon while +engineer troops work on the road; in foreground is a 105-mm. howitzer +motor carriage M7. Note destroyed enemy vehicles along road and in +stream (top). A bulldozer and a medium tank help another medium tank +which has struck a road mine (bottom).] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: MEDIUM TANK M4A1 on a hill overlooking Baguio (top); +soldiers looking at the ruins of the western section of Baguio +(bottom). Baguio was subjected to extensive bombardment by aircraft +and heavy artillery and the enemy’s defenses around the former summer +capital were reduced. Infantry troops led by tanks that had great +difficulty maneuvering through the mountains entered Baguio on 27 April +with practically no opposition.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: 155-MM. HOWITZER M1 in Balete Pass shelling enemy +artillery positions, 19 April. During March one division moved forward +ten miles after constructing more than 130 miles of roads and trails. +The same problems of terrain were faced in this advance and it was not +until 13 May that the pass was seized.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: P-38’S DROPPING FIRE BOMBS north of Balete Pass.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: INFANTRYMAN ROUTING ENEMY SOLDIERS hiding in a culvert +near Aritao on the highway north of Balete Pass. U.S. forces broke +through the Japanese defenses at Aritao and seized Bayombong to the +north toward the Cagayan Valley on 7 June 1945. After this, the drive +northward was rapid and met with little opposition.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN in northern Luzon. The Malaya River +flows through the valley in the vicinity of Cervantes, Ilocos Sur +Province.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: PARATROOPERS LANDING NEAR APARRI. The Northern Luzon +Guerrilla Force had cleared the northwestern coast of Luzon and by +early June 1945 controlled practically all the territory north of +Bontoc and west of the Cagayan Valley. On 21 June U.S. troops and +guerrillas seized Aparri, and on 23 June a reinforced parachute +battalion was dropped near the town. The paratroopers moved southward +meeting U.S. troops moving northward.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: A PHOSPHORUS HAND GRENADE EXPLODING on an enemy +position. The drive into the Cagayan Valley ended the last offensive on +Luzon in June 1945. Enemy pockets of resistance were cleared out and +by 15 August, when hostilities officially ended, the U.S. forces had +reported 40,565 casualties including 7,933 killed. The Japanese lost +over 192,000 killed and approximately 9,700 captured.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: 60-MM. MORTAR CREW FIRING at enemy positions on +Mindanao. While the fighting was still in progress on Luzon, other U.S. +troops were engaged on other islands in the Philippine Archipelago. +Mopping up was still in progress on Leyte and Samar; landings were +made on Mindanao, Palawan, Marinduque, Panay, Cebu, Bohol, Negros, +Masbate, Jolo, and Basilan; and other troops were being prepared for +the invasion of Okinawa.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: SHELL CASES BEING OPENED in preparation for an 81-mm. +mortar attack in the hills of Mindanao (top); light armored car M8 +moving along a river bank on Mindanao (bottom). During July most of +the remaining enemy troops on Mindanao were driven into the hills and +hemmed in, after which they were relentlessly attacked by aircraft.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: TROOPS WADING ASHORE during the invasion of Cebu island +(top) and on the beach after landing (bottom). During March landings +were made on Panay, Cebu, and Negros.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: FILIPINO RESIDENTS OF CEBU CITY welcome infantry and +armored troops.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: TROOPS DISEMBARKING FROM AN LVT(4) on Mactan Island in +the southern Philippines, April 1945.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: CAPTURED JAPANESE SOLDIER being brought in on northern +Cebu, May 1945 (top). Japanese prisoners at Cebu City boarding a ship +that will take them to a prisoner of war enclosure (bottom). Of the +more than 350,000 enemy troops in the entire Philippine Archipelago +only an estimated 50,000 were left when Japan capitulated. Of the +original number relatively few were taken prisoner.] + +PHILIPPINES + +[Illustration: AN ENLISTED MAN of an airborne division buying bananas +from native Filipinos as he waits to take off from Lipa airfield for +Okinawa in September 1945. In background is a Waco glider CG-4A.] + +NETHERLANDS EAST INDIES + +[Illustration: DOUGLAS A-20 flies away after hitting an oil storage +tank on an island in the Netherlands East Indies. While U.S. forces +were liberating the Philippines, Australian troops were fighting +against isolated enemy positions in New Guinea, New Britain, and +Bougainville, and at the same time were preparing for an attack on +Borneo. On 1 May Australian forces landed on Tarakan Island off the +northeast coast of Borneo. On 10 June Australians landed at Brunei Bay, +Borneo, and by the middle of July there was little enemy activity. +The best harbors were seized and the rich oil fields were again under +Allied control. The remaining Japanese troops withdrew into the jungles +of the interior.] + +IWO JIMA + +[Illustration: IWO JIMA] + +IWO JIMA + +[Illustration: MEN AND EQUIPMENT ON BOARD AN LST waiting to move in on +D Day, Iwo Jima. Even before the invasion of the Philippines it had +been decided to seize Iwo Jima in order to obtain airfields to support +the ultimate invasion of Japan. Iwo Jima was the only island in the +Volcano and Bonin groups suitable for an air installation of any size. +Beginning in August 1944 the island was bombed by Allied aircraft so +as to neutralize the enemy airfields and installations located there. +On 19 February 1945 two Marine divisions landed on Iwo under cover of +supporting fire from naval ships. Jima means island.] + +IWO JIMA + +[Illustration: UNLOADING ON THE BEACH ON IWO JIMA. Initially during the +landing on Iwo Jima all went according to plans. The water was calm, +no underwater obstacles were found, and the heavy preinvasion shelling +had destroyed some of the mine fields. One hour after the first waves +of marines were ashore the enemy opened fire with automatic weapons, +mortars, and artillery. Later in the day heavy seas hurled landing +craft on to the beach, which added greatly to the difficulty of getting +men and supplies ashore.] + +IWO JIMA + +[Illustration: STEEL MATTING BEING LAID on the beach at Iwo Jima to +facilitate the unloading of heavy equipment over the sand. Both on +the beaches and inland the loose volcanic soil made the movement of +vehicles extremely difficult. Trucks bogged down and supplies soon +piled high on the beach.] + +IWO JIMA + +[Illustration: 75-MM. GUN MOTOR CARRIAGES M3 FIRING at enemy positions +on Iwo Jima (top). 4.5-inch automatic rocket launchers T45 mounted on +two ¾-ton trucks, firing; this gravity-feed automatic launcher was +developed as a Navy standard item for firing the 4.5-inch Navy barrage +rocket (bottom).] + +IWO JIMA + +[Illustration: A DUMMY JAPANESE TANK carved in the soft volcanic ash. +This tank had previously drawn fire from the attacking U.S. troops.] + +IWO JIMA + +[Illustration: MARINES FIRING ON ENEMY SOLDIERS hidden in a cave. +Two marines wait at the base of a rock while nearer the top one +fires an automatic rifle and two others fire a rocket launcher and a +.45-caliber submachine gun. The enemy had set up an elaborate system of +defenses. The island was honeycombed with caves and connecting tunnels, +camouflaged pillboxes and gun positions. Most of the caves had at least +thirty-five feet of overhead cover and had not been damaged during the +preinvasion bombing and shelling.] + +IWO JIMA + +[Illustration: FLAME THROWERS burning out enemy troops in a hidden +cave while a rifleman waits behind the cover of a rock. One by one the +marines knocked out the enemy pillboxes and sealed the caves, gradually +breaking down the defense system.] + +IWO JIMA + +[Illustration: THREE JAPANESE COMING OUT OF THEIR CAVE to surrender +(top); five captured enemy soldiers (bottom). On 16 March it was +officially announced that all organized enemy resistance had come to +an end, although mopping up continued for many days in the Kitano +Point area. The exact number of casualties to the enemy is not known +as many were lost in their caves and tunnels, but by 21 March over +21,000 dead had been counted, while only 212 prisoners were taken. Out +of approximately 20,000 casualties the Marines lost over 4,000 killed, +while Navy casualties amounted to over 1,000. Iwo Jima was probably +the most strongly fortified island selected as an objective during the +war.] + +IWO JIMA + +[Illustration: B-29 CRASH LANDS on the airstrip on Iwo Jima and burns +after returning from an attack on Tokyo. On 17 March 1945 sixteen +Superfortresses returning from a strike against Japan made emergency +landings on Iwo, and by the middle of June more than 850 of the large +bombers had landed there. By the end of the war over 2,400 B-29’s had +made emergency landings on the island.] + +OKINAWA + +[Illustration: OKINAWA ISLAND GROUP] + +JAPAN + +[Illustration: THE CARRIER USS _FRANKLIN_ BURNING after being seriously +damaged during a Japanese attack. The middle of March 1945 marked the +beginning of the Okinawa campaign. On 14 March a fast carrier force +departed from Ulithi for an attack on Kyushu, while air force bombers +struck at Formosa and Honshu. On 18 March planes from the carrier force +successfully attacked airfields on Kyushu. The following day the planes +again took off, this time to strike enemy warships at Kure and Kobe. +During these bombardments Japanese planes attacked the carrier force +ships and damaged six of the carriers, one of them considerably and +another, the _Franklin_, seriously. The carrier force then moved toward +Okinawa, arriving in the area on 23 March, and warships and planes +bombarded the island.] + +KEISE ISLANDS + +[Illustration: GUN CREW SETTING UP A 155-MM. GUN M1A1 on one of the +Keise Islands (top); Japanese suicide boat captured on Aka Island +(bottom). On 26 March ground troops began the task of seizing the +Kerama group of islands. By 29 March all organized resistance had +collapsed and the following day the islands were declared secure. +Over 350 Japanese suicide boats were captured and destroyed by U.S. +troops in the Kerama Islands. On 31 March the Keise Islands were seized +without opposition and by evening two battalions of 155-mm. guns had +been put ashore to support the main landings on Okinawa.] + +OKINAWA + +[Illustration: AERIAL VIEW OF SHIPS during the landings on Okinawa +(top); troops landing on the beach from LCT (6)’s (bottom). After a +preliminary bombardment of the beaches, the heaviest to support a +landing in the Pacific, the first assault troops landed on the Hagushi +beaches against no opposition. Within the first hour over 16,000 men +and some 250 amphibian tanks had landed. The airstrips at Yontanzam and +Katena were seized shortly after 1200 against little resistance. As +a result of the first day’s operations a beachhead approximately ten +miles long and three miles deep was in U.S. hands. Both Army and Marine +Corps troops made good progress during the next few days.] + +OKINAWA + +[Illustration: PILOTED SHORT-RANGE FLYING BOMBS found on Okinawa. On 6 +April the Kamakase Corps began a thirty-six hour mass suicide attack, +one of the most destructive air battles of the war. Over 350 suicide +planes accompanied by as many orthodox bombers and fighters sank or +damaged some 30 U.S. ships. The second great mass suicide attack began +on 12 April when the new Baka bomb was used for the first time. This +piloted short-range flying bomb, with a ton of explosive in its war +head, was carried to the target slung beneath a twin-engined medium +bomber. When released in a rocket-assisted dive it attained a speed of +400 to 500 miles per hour but was not very accurate.] + +OKINAWA + +[Illustration: MEDIUM TANK M4A1 AND INFANTRYMEN blasting their way +through a minefield (top); hillside on Okinawa honeycombed with caves +and dugouts (bottom). The high ground held by the Japanese on southern +Okinawa was ideal for defense. The limestone hills were honeycombed +with caves and dugouts which were well manned and difficult to assault. +When the attacking U.S. troops had moved away from the beaches the +enemy offered strong resistance.] + +OKINAWA + +[Illustration: ARMY NURSES ON OKINAWA washing in helmets (top); medics +at work in a hospital tent (bottom). During early April the U.S. troops +were able to make only limited gains against a well-entrenched enemy. +Heavy casualties were suffered.] + +OKINAWA + +[Illustration: FLAME-THROWING MEDIUM TANK firing at the entrance of a +cave on southern Okinawa (top); Japanese prisoner being searched at the +entrance of a cave after he has surrendered (bottom).] + +OKINAWA + +[Illustration: TRUCKS MOVING THROUGH THE MUD (top); trucks bogged down +to the vehicle frames in mud (bottom). U.S. progress on Okinawa was +slow but advances were made until the middle of May when torrential +rains seriously interfered with the movement of supplies and equipment +to the front. The road system on southern Okinawa eventually broke down +and supplies had to be delivered to the front by hand or air. Armored +units were almost completely immobilized.] + +OKINAWA + +[Illustration: AN ENLISTED MAN WASHING in a water-filled foxhole +following the heavy rains (top); drying clothes and digging a new +foxhole (bottom). The fighting continued on Okinawa until 21 June when +the island was declared secure.] + +OKINAWA + +[Illustration: B-24 TAKING OFF FROM THE AIRSTRIP AT YONTANZAN for a +mission over Japan (top); Douglas C-54 Skymaster arriving at Yontanzan +airstrip on a flight from Guam (bottom). The construction of airstrips +on Okinawa and the nearby islands was carried out concurrently with +the operations, and attacks on the Japanese home islands were soon +started.] + +OKINAWA + +[Illustration: PRISONERS WAITING ON A DOCK AT OKINAWA to be transported +to Hawaii. In addition to the loss of a great base on the doorstep +of Japan, the enemy lost 107,500 dead and 7,400 prisoners. U.S. Army +casualties numbered 39,430, including 7,374 killed.] + +OKINAWA + +[Illustration: THE FIRST BIG U.S. SHIP TO ENTER NAHA HARBOR, Okinawa +after the fighting ended. During the three-month conflict the U.S. Navy +lost a total of 386 warships, transports, and other ships. 763 aircraft +were lost in comparison with approximately 4,000 Japanese aircraft. The +losses to the enemy were very serious, and the Allies were in position +to threaten the islands of Japan.] + + + + +CHINA-BURMA-INDIA + + + + +SECTION V + +China-Burma-India[5] + + +China’s last important supply link with the Allies, the Burma Road, was +closed when the Japanese occupied northern Burma in May 1942. Despite +her isolation, China resisted the Japanese and remained an active ally. +The importance of giving China sufficient support to keep her in the +war led to the Allied plan to re-establish surface communications with +China and to increase supply by air over the Hump. + +[5] See Charles F. Romanus and Riley Sunderland, _Stilwell’s Mission to +China_, Washington, D.C., 1953; and Romanus and Sunderland, _Stilwell’s +Command Problems_, Washington, D.C., 1956, in the series _U.S. ARMY IN +WORLD WAR II._ + +In August 1942 a training center was established at Ramgarh, India, for +training the poorly equipped Chinese troops; concurrently, training +centers were also established in China. In December 1942 the Allies +began the construction of a new road leading from Ledo, India, across +northern Burma to an intersection with the Burma Road near the China +border. Subsequently this was supplemented by a pipeline for aviation +and fuel oil from Calcutta, India, to Kunming, China. Pending the +reopening of ground communications with China, the only route of supply +available was the air transport system over the spur of the Himalayas +from the Assam valley, India, to Kunming, a distance of approximately +500 air miles. + +Fighting in Burma was relatively light in 1943; however, Allied +aircraft pounded enemy airfields, communications, and rear +installations. Rangoon, important center of the enemy supply system, +was bombed repeatedly with damaging results. + +In China during 1943, air attacks constituted the only offensive +operations by the Allies. U.S. planes carried out attacks against enemy +bases in Burma, Thailand, Indo-China, Hainan, Hong Kong, and Formosa. +Shipping along the China coast was attacked with little loss to the +enemy. In 1944 B-29’s based in China attacked targets in Manchuria, on +Formosa, and in Japan. + +During this time the Japanese had increased their China-based air +strength but were deploying their best planes and pilots to meet the +threat in the Southwest Pacific. + +The Allied counteroffensive in north Burma, which started early in +1944, continued to the end of the year with great intensity. Landings +in the Philippines and U.S. naval operations in the China Sea +threatened the Japanese supply line to Burma and by the end of January +1945, large groups of enemy forces were retreating from north Burma. +As a result of the Allied advance in Burma in 1944, the entire route +of the new Ledo Road was cleared except for a small stretch near its +junction with the Burma Road. On 4 February the first Allied convoy +traveled over the Ledo Road, which was renamed the Stilwell Highway. + +In the latter stages of the Burma Campaign, American troops together +with Chinese troops were flown to China. Serious Japanese offensives in +China during the summer of 1944 and early 1945 were terminated in the +spring of 1945 and the enemy began to withdraw from south and central +China. + +CHINA-BURMA-INDIA + +[Illustration: CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER] + +INDIA + +[Illustration: U.S. TROOPS ABOARD A TRANSPORT waiting to go ashore at +a port in India. At the end of 1942 only about 17,000 American troops +were in the China-Burma-India theater, consisting almost entirely of +Air Forces and Services of Supply personnel.] + +INDIA + +[Illustration: AMERICAN PERSONNEL, just arrived in India, load into +trucks bound for their new station (top); unloading American supplies +(bottom). With the closing of the Burma road, China became isolated +in 1942. The coastline, railroads, and vital areas of China were +controlled by the Japanese and were occasionally harassed by raids of +Chinese guerrilla forces.] + +INDIA + +[Illustration: CHINESE TROOPS TRAINING AT RAMGARH, INDIA. Chinese +troops learning to handle a .30-caliber M1917A1 Browning machine gun +(top left) and a 75-mm. pack howitzer M1A1 (top right); on a road march +(bottom). From October 1942 to the end of the year some 21,000 Chinese +soldiers were flown to the Ramgarh training center.] + +INDIA + +[Illustration: TRANSPORTING U.S. SUPPLIES IN INDIA, 1942. An American +air force based in China was dependent upon the Hump air route, which +was at the end of a 10,000-mile line of supply from the United States, +for the much needed gasoline, bombs, and other munitions. In order for +one American bomber in China to execute a mission against the enemy, a +transport plane had to make an average of four separate flights over +the Hump, the most hazardous mountain terrain in the world.] + +INDIA + +[Illustration: SNOW-CAPPED PEAKS of a spur of the Himalayas between +the Salween and Mekong Rivers. Some of these peaks reach over 20,000 +feet high. The air route over the system, called the Hump, was about +500 air miles, from the Assam valley in northeast India over the +Himalayas to Kunming in western China. Cargo transported over the Hump +increased from about 10,000 tons a month during the summer of 1943 to +approximately 46,000 tons a month by January 1945.] + +CHINA + +[Illustration: KOWLOON DOCKS UNDER AIR ATTACK BY U.S. PLANES, a portion +of Hong Kong in foreground. A Japanese Zero can be seen just to the +left of the smoke from a hit on the Kowloon docks and railroad yards. +In Burma during 1942 most of the action following the Japanese conquest +of the country consisted of limited air attacks and patrol clashes +along the Burma--India border. At the end of 1943 there was no evidence +of a weakened Japanese grip on the railroads, big cities, and ports in +China.] + +INDIA + +[Illustration: U.S. AIRCRAFT USED IN CHINA DURING 1942-43. North +American Mitchell medium bomber B-25 (top); Curtiss single-seat fighter +P-40 (bottom). In July 1942 U.S. air strength in China consisted of +about 40 aircraft against some 200 enemy planes.] + +BURMA + +[Illustration: AMERICAN AND CHINESE TROOPS moving forward over +difficult terrain into northern Burma, 1944. Pack animals used in +transporting supplies (top); men stop to make repairs on a bridge +which was damaged by the pack train (bottom). During the early part of +1943, Allied forces in northern Burma conducted experimental offensive +operations to harass and cut enemy lines of communications, and +defensive operations to cover the construction of the Ledo Road. By the +end of 1943, the Japanese had increased their strength in Burma to six +divisions, preparing to resume offensive operations against India.] + +INDIA + +[Illustration: 40-MM. ANTIAIRCRAFT GUN M1 with its crew in India, April +1944 (top); 81-mm. mortar M1 firing on enemy supply and communications +lines (bottom). In February 1944 the Chinese troops advancing down the +Hukawng Valley were joined by a specially trained American infantry +combat team. In May 1944 the Allied forces had fought their way into +the airfield at Myitkyina, the key to northern Burma.] + +BURMA + +[Illustration: CHINESE SOLDIER ON GUARD near a bridge over the Salween +River has rigged up a shady spot for himself by tying an umbrella to +his rifle. The Burma Road reaches its lowest point, some 2,000 feet +above sea level, at this bridge site.] + +BURMA + +[Illustration: CROSSING THE SALWEEN RIVER, July 1944. The temporary +suspension bridge was built to replace the permanent bridge here which +was blown up in 1942 by the Chinese as a defense measure against the +Japanese advance. While Allied forces advanced on Myitkyina, Chinese +troops crossed the Salween River from the east. The two forces met +at Teng-chung in September 1944, establishing the first thin hold in +northern Burma.] + +BURMA + +[Illustration: SUPPLY DROP IN BURMA, spring of 1944. Men can be seen +waiting to recover supplies dropped by parachute; note small stockpile +in center foreground. From October 1943 to August 1944 food, equipment, +and ammunition was supplied largely or entirely to the some 100,000 +troops involved in the fighting by air--either air-landed, or by +parachute or free drop.] + +BURMA + +[Illustration: DOUGLAS C-47 TRANSPORT taking off in a cloud of dust +from an airstrip near Man Wing, Burma. Air supply operations were +maintained by both British and American troop carrier squadrons, +flying night and day from bases in the Brahmaputra Valley to points +of rendezvous with Allied ground troops in Burma. Air supply made the +Burma campaign possible.] + +BURMA + +[Illustration: U.S. SERVICES OF SUPPLY TRUCK CONVOY starting across a +temporary ponton bridge just after its completion in 1944. Built across +the treacherous Irrawaddy River, this bridge was approximately 1,200 +feet long and served as a link in the Ledo Road for the combat troops +and supply vehicles. When the torrential rains ceased a permanent +structure was built to handle the tremendous loads of the convoys going +to China.] + +BURMA + +[Illustration: PIPELINES showing the manifold valve installation on the +pipeline near Myitkyina, Burma, September 1944. Engineers were to build +two 4-inch pipelines for motor fuel and aviation gasoline starting in +Assam, paralleling the Ledo Road, and extending through to Kunming, +China. By October 1944 one of the lines reached Myitkyina, a distance +of about 268 miles; 202 miles were completed on the other line by this +date. Another 6-inch pipeline for gasoline was built in India from +Calcutta to Assam.] + +BURMA + +[Illustration: TANKS driven by American-trained Chinese soldiers making +a sharp horseshoe turn on the road to Bhamo, December 1944. Tank in +foreground is a light tank M3A3; in the background are M4A4 medium +tanks. The Burma--India Campaign continued with intensity during the +monsoon season of 1944. By December the projected route of the supply +road to Bhamo had been cleared.] + +BURMA + +[Illustration: SURVEYING PARTY planning for a portion of the Ledo Road +across abandoned rice paddies (top); hundreds of Chinese laborers pull +a roller to smooth a runway for an airstrip (bottom). B--29 attacks +on targets in Manchuria, Formosa, and Japan, beginning in 1944, +necessitated the building of several new airfields in China and India.] + +BURMA + +[Illustration: CASUALTY BEING LOWERED BY ROPES AND PULLEY from a +liaison plane that crashed into a tree in Burma; portion of plane can +be seen in upper left. When it crashed, the plane was being used to +evacuate three casualties from the fighting area.] + +BURMA + +[Illustration: RECOVERING SUPPLIES dropped by parachute. During 1943 +and 1944 the flow of U.S. arms and materiel through Calcutta, India, +and up the valley had become great enough to support the tasks of +building the Ledo Road and of destroying the Japanese forces in its +path and increasing steadily the capacity of the Hump air route.] + +INDIA + +[Illustration: ASSEMBLY OF FIRST TRUCK CONVOY IN LEDO, Assam, to travel +the Ledo-Burma Road, a route stretching over approximately 1,000 miles +through Myitkyina, Burma, to Kunming, China. Note railroad to left of +the road. The vehicles are loaded with supplies and ammunition; some +are pulling antitank guns and filed artillery pieces.] + +BURMA + +[Illustration: FIRST CONVOY OVER THE LEDO ROAD, renamed the Stilwell +Highway; cargo truck (top) is a 2½-ton 6x6. In December 1942, engineers +started to construct the Ledo Road starting from Ledo, Assam, across +northern Burma to an intersection with the Burma Road near the China +border. They moved ahead as fast as the combat troops, often working +under enemy fire. On 28 January 1945, the first convoy crossed the +Burma-China frontier.] + +CHINA + +[Illustration: SECTION OF BURMA ROAD just east of Yun-nan-i, China. +Many hairpin turns were necessary to wind a road around the treacherous +mountain terrain. Note the many terraced rice paddies on the mountain +sides and the distance from the road of the two Chinese villages, left +center. Over most difficult terrain and under intolerable weather +conditions, Allied forces defeated the Japanese in Burma in late spring +of 1945.] + +BURMA + +[Illustration: JAPANESE WARSHIP UNDER ATTACK by North American medium +bomber B-25 near Amoy, China, 6 April 1945; some enemy survivors can be +seen in the water as others cling to the side of the wreckage (bottom). +In the spring of 1945 the Japanese began to withdraw from south and +central China.] + + + + +THE COLLAPSE OF JAPAN AND THE END OF THE WAR IN THE PACIFIC + + + + +SECTION VI + +The Collapse of Japan and the End of the War in the Pacific + + +The capture of Iwo Jima gave the Allies bases for fighter planes which +were to escort the Superfortresses, based in the Marianas, when they +attacked Japan. With Okinawa in U.S. hands other bombers could join +the B-29’s in the raids. The first Superfortresses flying from the +Marianas struck Tokyo in November 1944. The number of planes used in +the attacks increased with each raid until, in July 1945, over 40,000 +tons of bombs were dropped on Japan. During July most of the industrial +areas of Tokyo, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kobe, and Osaka had been destroyed. +The Air Forces then turned its attention to secondary targets and to +mining operations planned to blockade Japan so that her warships would +be unable to leave the harbors and her ships carrying supplies would be +unable to enter Japanese waters. + +In July the U.S. Third Fleet was sent into Japanese waters to assist in +preventing the Japanese fleet from leaving its bases and to shell enemy +installations along the coast. Aircraft from naval carriers joined in +the attack and the combined efforts of the Allied air power reduced +Japan’s air force to scattered remnants. + +The Allies issued the Potsdam Proclamation on 26 July 1945 calling upon +the Japanese to surrender unconditionally. Japan refused the terms and +the Allies began a new series of attacks. On 6 August the first atomic +bomb to be used against an enemy was dropped on Hiroshima; on 8 August, +the Russians declared war on Japan; and on 9 August a second atomic +bomb was released, this time over the city of Nagasaki. These blows +were closely followed by a series of Allied aerial attacks and on 15 +August Japan accepted the Potsdam terms, ending the war in the Pacific. + +On 2 September 1945 the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers +accepted the formal Japanese surrender aboard the battleship USS +_Missouri_ in a twenty-minute ceremony. + +JAPAN + +[Illustration] + +JAPAN + +[Illustration: JAPANESE SHIPPING in a northern Honshu harbor during a +U.S. carrier-based aircraft attack (top); enemy cruisers anchored in +the Japanese naval base at Kure Harbor, Honshu, being bombed by U.S. +naval carrier planes (bottom). On 10 July 1945 carrier-based planes +struck the Tokyo area, concentrating on airfields. This was the first +of a series of attacks by aircraft and surface warships of the U.S. and +British fleets. In late July attacks were carried out against enemy +warships anchored in the harbors of Honshu.] + +JAPAN + +[Illustration: THE U.S. THIRD FLEET off the coast of Japan. While the +air strikes were going on, the surface warships were steaming up and +down the east coast of Honshu shelling enemy installations. During +these attacks by aircraft and surface vessels, steel-producing centers, +transportation facilities, and military installations were struck; +hundreds of enemy aircraft were destroyed or crippled; and most of the +ships of the Japanese Imperial Fleet were either sunk or damaged.] + +JAPAN + +[Illustration: A SHANTYTOWN which sprang up in a section of Yokohama +after B-29’s destroyed the original buildings (top); destruction of +buildings by incendiary bombs in Osaka, Japan’s second largest city +(bottom). The bombing of Japan’s key industrial cities was stepped up +from less than two thousand tons of bombs dropped during December 1944 +to over forty thousand tons dropped in July 1945. More and more bombers +were sent against Japan with less fighter opposition until, by the end +of July, the targets were announced in advance of the raids. This did +much to undermine the civilian morale and the people began to realize +that the end of the war was close at hand.] + +JAPAN + +[Illustration: THE BOMBING OF HIROSHIMA with the first atomic bomb +to be used against an enemy, 6 August 1945. With the refusal of the +enemy to accept the unconditional surrender terms of the Potsdam +Proclamation, it was decided to release a single atomic bomb from a +Superfortress. The city chosen for the attack was Hiroshima, where +important Japanese military installations were located.] + +JAPAN + +[Illustration: HIROSHIMA was approximately 60 percent destroyed by +the bomb. Ground zero (the point on the ground directly below the +air burst of the bomb) was approximately 5,000 feet away from the +hospital building in the center of the photograph, in the direction of +the arrow. (This picture was taken a year after the atomic bomb was +dropped.)] + +JAPAN + +[Illustration: U.S. PERSONNEL STATIONED ON GUAM discussing the news +of the first atomic bomb dropped on Japan. Before the Japanese had +recovered from the first atomic bomb, another blow was delivered. On +8 August the Russians declared war on Japan and on the following day +crossed the borders into Manchuria.] + +JAPAN + +[Illustration: ATOMIC BOMBING OF NAGASAKI, 9 August 1945. This was the +second atomic bomb to be dropped on a Japanese city.] + +JAPAN + +[Illustration: A PORTION OF NAGASAKI after the atomic bomb was dropped. +Nagasaki was a large industrial center and an important port on the +west coast of Kyushu. About 45 percent of the city was destroyed by the +bomb. The rectangular area in the lower left portion of the photograph +is the remains of the Fuchi School. Along both sides of the river are +buildings of the Mitsubishi factories which manufactured arms, steel, +turbines, etc. The tall smoke stack in the right portion of photograph +is that of the Kyushu electric plant. The school was approximately +3,700 feet from ground zero while the electric plant was approximately +6,700 feet away.] + +JAPAN + +[Illustration: DAMAGE AT NAGASAKI, showing large areas where most +of the buildings were leveled. Buildings constructed of reinforced +concrete suffered less than other types. The circular structure, at +lower center, is the Ohashi Gas Works, approximately 3,200 feet north +of ground zero. The concrete building at left center is the Yamazato +School, approximately 2,300 feet north of ground zero.] + +JAPAN + +[Illustration: MOUNT FUJIYAMA. After the two atomic bombings and +repeated blows by the Navy and Air Forces, the enemy capitulated on 15 +August 1945.] + +JAPAN + +[Illustration: ABOARD THE BATTLESHIP USS _MISSOURI_ just before the +Japanese surrender ceremony, Tokyo Bay, 2 September 1945. This formally +ended the three years and eight months of war in the Pacific and marked +the defeat of the Axis Powers.] + +JAPAN + +[Illustration: U.S. B-29’s flying over the USS _Missouri_ during the +surrender ceremony.] + +JAPAN + +[Illustration: U.S. AND JAPANESE PHOTOGRAPHERS taking pictures of U.S. +troops landing at Tateyama, Japan (top); vehicles landing at Wakayama +Beach, Honshu (bottom). Following the defeat of Japan, Allied troops +landed on the Japanese islands to begin their occupational duties. The +invasion of Japan had been planned but the surrender of the enemy made +assault landings unnecessary. However, many troops and much of the +equipment landed over the beaches.] + +JAPAN + +[Illustration: A JAPANESE WATCHING U.S. TROOPS LANDING on the beach at +Wakayama.] + +JAPAN + +[Illustration: MILITARY POLICEMEN STAND GUARD as Japanese soldiers +carry rifles, light machine guns, and side arms from trucks into +a building used as a collecting point (top); U.S. soldiers in a +light Japanese tank at a collecting point (bottom). Tanks shown are +tankettes, Type 92, 1932, which weighed three tons, carried a crew +of two men, and had a 16.5-mm. machine gun as principal weapon. The +tankettes developed a speed of 25 miles per hour and were used in +reconnaissance and cavalry roles.] + +JAPAN + +[Illustration: SCUTTLED JAPANESE AIRCRAFT CARRIER in Tokyo Bay (top); +submarines tied up at Maizuru Naval Base (bottom). The submarine +nearest the dock is a German U-boat which had been given to the +Japanese for training purposes.] + +HAWAII + +[Illustration: V-J DAY PARADE IN HONOLULU. The total of U.S. Army +casualties in the global war was nearly 950,000, including almost +330,000 killed in battle. Of the total, the war against Japan accounted +for approximately 175,000 casualties including about 52,000 killed. In +the South and Southwest Pacific Areas 72 combat landing operations were +carried out in less than three years.] + + + + +Appendix A + +List of Abbreviations + + + BAR Browning automatic rifle + + GHQ general headquarters + + HB heavy barrel + + LCI landing craft, infantry + + LCI (L) landing craft, infantry (large) + + LCM landing craft, mechanized + + LCM (3) landing craft, mechanized (Mark III) + + LCP (L) landing craft, personnel (large) + + LCP (R) landing craft, personnel (ramp) + + LCR landing craft, rubber + + LCT (6) landing craft, tank (Mark VI) + + LCV landing craft, vehicle + + LCVP landing craft, vehicle and personnel + + LST landing ship, tank + + LVT landing vehicle, tracked + + LVT (1) landing vehicle, tracked, unarmored (Mark I) + (“Alligator”) + + LVT (4) landing vehicle, tracked, unarmored (Mark IV) + + LVT (A) (1) landing vehicle, tracked (armored) (Mark I) + (“Water Buffalo,” turret type) + + LVT (A) (2) landing vehicle, tracked (armored) (Mark II) + (“Water Buffalo,” canopy type) + + LVT (A) (4) landing vehicle, tracked (armored) (Mark IV) + + PT patrol vessel, motor torpedo boat + + SCR Signal Corps radio + + + + +Appendix B + +List of Pictorial Sources + + +The following list gives the origin of all photographs that appear in +this book. The photographs were selected from those in the files of the +Army Signal Corps (111-SC or MC), the Air Force (342-FH or 18AO), the +Navy (80-G), the Marine Corps (127-N), the Coast Guard (26-G), YANK +Magazine (YANK), and individual collections as noted. + + ---------------------------------------- + _Page_ _Source_ _Number_ + ---------------------------------------- + 4 MC 215 + 5 SC 120588 + 6 SC 117032 + 7 (Top) SC 117037 + 7 (Bottom) SC 122190 + 8 SC 127004 + 9 (Top) SC 127002 + 9 (Bottom) USN 19948 + 10 USN 16871 + 11 (Top) USN 32424 + 11 (Bottom) USN 19947 + 12 USN 19943 + 13 (Top) SC 127000 + 13 (Bottom) SC 134872 + 14 SC 127050 + 15 SC 176598 + 16 SC 136966 + 17 SC 128344 + 18 SC 136024 + 19 SC 136018 + 20 (Top) SC 137367 + 20 (Bottom) SC 137268 + 21 SC 182415 + 22 (Top) SC 147131 + 22 (Bottom) SC 142137 + 23 (Top) SC 137253 + 23 (Bottom) SC 136227 + 24 MC 5 + 25 (Top) SC 118927 + 25 (Bottom) SC 118925 + 26 (Top) SC 118917 + 26 (Bottom) SC 126694 + 27 (Top) SC 126705 + 27 (Bottom) SC 126742 + 28 SC 126703 + 29 SC 126711 + 30 SC 130991 + 31 SC 130990 + 32 (Top) SC 126728 + 32 (Bottom) SC 126730 + 33 SC 282334 + 34 SC 131323 + 35 USAF 54853 AC + 36 (Top) SC 131312 + 36 (Bottom) SC 131304 + 37 SC 131471 + 38 (Top) USN 6744 + 38 (Bottom) USN 63345-848-B + 39 (Top) USN 17023 + 39 (Bottom) USN 11662 + 40 (Top) SC 136339 + 40 (Bottom) SC 136340 + 41 SC 131349 + 42 (Top) USN 324199 + 42 (Bottom) USN 41196 + 43 USAF C-25758 + 44 SC 334265 + 45 SC 282340 + 46 SC 249636 + 47 (Top) SC 229704 + 47 (Bottom) SC 335469 + 48 SC 334296 + 49 SC 140332 + 50 (Top) SC 132940 + 50 (Bottom) SC 132942 + 51 SC 151125 + 52 USN 7401 + 53 USN 7392 + 54 SC 166677 + 55 (Top) SC 164198 + 55 (Bottom) SC 166712 + 56 USAF 3725 + 57 (Top) USN 414423 + 57 (Bottom) USN 312018 + 58 USN 215475 + 59 (Top) SC 163666 + 59 (Bottom) SC 163613 + 60 (Top) SC 170985 + 61 SC 151129 + 62 (Top) SC 151183 + 62 (Bottom) SC 151182 + 63 (Top) SC 151148 + 63 (Bottom) SC 151140 + 64 (Top) SC 162873 + 64 (Bottom) SC 163276 + 65 (Top) SC 163361 + 65 (Bottom) SC 163356 + 66 SC 165013 + 67 (Top) SC 163263 + 67 (Bottom) SC 163253 + 68 (Top) SC 162823 + 68 (Bottom) SC 163307 + 69 (Top) SC 172399 + 69 (Center) SC 180891 + 69 (Bottom) SC 172398 + 70 SC 133563 + 71 SC 163077 + 72 (Top) SC 163287 + 72 (Bottom) SC 326269 + 73 (Top) SC 181536 + 73 (Bottom) SC 181535 + 74 SC 162837 + 79 Unknown + 80-81 Unknown + 82-83 USAF 18AO-229R17 + 84 USN 11034 + 85 (Top) USN 12646 + 86 USMC 59636 + 87 USMC 1775 + 88 USMC 13444 + 89 USN 34887 + 90 (Top) USN 40298 + 90 (Bottom) USN 33368 + 91 (Top) USMC 13295 + 91 (Bottom) USN 14615 + 92 (Top) SC 164894 + 92 (Bottom) SC 164902 + 93 (Top) SC 165177 + 93 (Bottom) SC 165171 + 94 USN 67247 + 95 USN 35903 + 96 (Top) USN 163952 + 96 (Bottom) SC 163875 + 97 SC 163787 + 98 (Top) SC 163986 + 98 (Bottom) SC 163989 + 99 SC 164056 + 100 (Top) SC 163976 + 100 (Bottom) SC 163960 + 101 (Top) SC 163972 + 101 (Bottom) SC 163884 + 102 SC 164045 + 103 (Top) SC 163878 + 103 (Bottom) SC 163842 + 104 (Top) USMC 81274 + 104 (Bottom) USN 51882 + 105 USAF 205076 S + 106 USAF 18AO-230R9 + 107 USAF 18AO-230R17 + 108 SC 245495 + 109 SC 185866 + 110 SC 184078 + 111 SC 185875 + 112 SC 181676 + 113 SC 186151 + 114 SC 191093 + 115 USN 295237 + 116 USN 54648 + 117 SC 184437 + 118 (Top) SC 182104 + 118 (Bottom) SC 184070 + 119 (Top) USN 186472 + 119 (Bottom) SC 186471 + 120 SC 182101 + 121 SC 184442 + 122 (Top) USAF 52908 AC + 122 (Bottom) USAF 58813 AC + 123 USCG 3120 + 124 USCG 3170 + 125 USN 202502 + 126 (Top) SC 186564 + 126 (Bottom) SC 184362 + 127 SC 255944 + 128 SC 186309 + 129 SC 186859 + 130 (Top) SC 187873 S + 130 (Bottom) SC 186568 + 131 (Top) SC 186979 + 131 (Bottom) SC 186566 + 132 (Top) SC 186595 + 132 (Bottom) SC 183238 S + 133 (Top) SC 184363 + 133 (Bottom) SC 241023 + 134 (Top) SC 187870 S + 134 (Bottom) SC 184773 S + 135 (Top) SC 341721 + 135 (Bottom) USAF 67341 + 136 (Top) SC 190893 + 136 (Bottom) SC 188913 + 137 (Top) SC 187246 + 137 (Bottom) SC 184441 + 138 SC 341722 + 139 SC 189558 + 140 (Top) SC 190050 + 140 (Bottom) SC 325321 + 141 SC 190051 + 142 SC 190888 + 143 SC 189100 S + 144 Unknown + 145 (Top) SC 163202 + 145 (Bottom) SC 170650 + 146 SC 162418 + 147 SC 169642 + 148 SC 230756 + 149 SC 167795 + 150 SC 164359 + 151 SC 162494 + 152 SC 166026 + 153 SC 166804 + 154 SC 162501 + 155 SC 166662 + 156 (Top) SC 162500 + 156 (Bottom) SC 164347 + 157 SC 168195 + 158 SC 172793 + 159 SC 173351 + 160 SC 163240 + 161 SC 168999 + 162 (Top) SC 169947 + 162 (Bottom) SC 168945 + 163 SC 173813 + 164 USAF 24825 AC + 165 (Top) USAF 23672 AC + 165 (Bottom) USAF 27488 AC + 166-167 USAF 25418 + 168 SC 186216 + 169 SC 186006 + 170 USAF 233R4 + 171 SC 25899 AC + 172 (Top) SC 187966 S + 172 (Bottom) SC 187961 S + 173 USCG 3059 + 174 (Top) SC 184411 + 174 (Bottom) SC 184419 + 175 SC 184414 + 176 USMC 68988 + 177 USCG 3046 + 178 Unknown + 179 SC 177608 + 180 SC 174121 + 181 SC 171813 + 182 (Top) SC 174111 + 182 (Bottom) SC 174114 + 183 SC 174151 + 184 SC 179445 + 185 (Top) SC 174109 + 185 (Bottom) SC 174202 + 186 (Top) SC 174501 + 186 (Bottom) SC 177717 + 187 SC 177706 + 188 (Top) SC 174504 + 188 (Bottom) SC 171798 + 189 (Top) SC 177631 + 189 (Bottom) SC 177652 + 190 SC 170367 S + 191 SC 245190 + 192 USN W-AA7-42784 + 193 (Top) SC 182886 + 193 (Bottom) SC 186547 + 194 SC 187013 S + 195 Unknown + 196 USN 43464 + 197 (Top) SC 183595 + 197 (Bottom) SC 183571 + 198 SC 183537 + 199 (Top) SC 183542 + 199 (Bottom) SC 183538 + 200 (Top) SC 183547 + 200 (Bottom) SC 183543 + 201 USCG 3197 + 202 (Top) SC 183639 + 202 (Bottom) SC 183636 + 203 (Top) SC 183529 + 203 (Bottom) SC 183556 + 204 (Top) USAF 62938 + 204 (Bottom) SC 183550 + 205 USMC 63457 + 206 USMC 63926 + 207 USMC 63458 + 208 USMC 63814 + 209 USAF 63206 + 210 USMC 63573 + 218 Unknown + 219 Unknown + 220 (Top) SC 301944 + 220 (Bottom) SC 302014 + 221 SC 301959 + 222 (Top) SC 301985 + 222 (Bottom) SC 301954 + 223 (Top) SC 301936 + 223 (Bottom) SC 301970 + 224 SC 301932 + 225 SC 301922 + 226 SC 187437 + 227 SC 185591 + 228 SC 185589 + 229 SC 185588 + 230 SC 186639 + 231 SC 185595 + 232 SC 186642 + 233 (Top) SC 187442 + 233 (Bottom) SC 212770 + 234 (Top) SC 185593 + 234 (Bottom) SC 212615 + 235 SC 212607 + 236 USAF 57029 + 237 (Top) USAF 58931 AC + 237 (Bottom) USAF 60225 + 238-239 USCG 2466 + 240 (Top) SC 212619 + 240 (Bottom) SC 212740 + 241 (Top) SC 345987 + 241 (Bottom) SC 211305 + 242 USN 238363 + 243 USN 238024 + 244 (Top) SC 341527 + 244 (Bottom) SC 212591 + 245 (Top) SC 319109 + 245 (Bottom) SC 213139 + 246 SC 345988 + 247 USMC 87135 + 248 SC 324468 + 249 USMC 85222 + 250 SC 335533 + 251 USAF 55505 + 252 (Top) SC 318816 + 252 (Bottom) SC 122478 + 253 (Top) SC 318809 + 253 (Bottom) SC 318813 + 254 (Top) SC 210232 + 254 (Bottom) USCG 2659 + 255 SC 272338 + 256 SC 347413 + 257 (Top) SC 211195 + 257 (Bottom) SC 211196 + 258 (Top) USMC 239431 + 258 (Bottom) SC 347412 + 259 (Top) SC 347414 + 259 (Bottom) USMC 92083 + 260 USAF 54125 + 261 USMC 95256 + 262 SC 282145 + 263 SC 282136 + 264 USN 283751 + 265 SC 212876 + 266 YANK + 267 YANK + 268 USAF 3A38005 + 269 USN 294131 + 270 (Top) USAF 3A38600 + 270 (Bottom) USAF 55510 + 271 (Top) YANK Captured Japanese photo + 271 (Bottom) YANK Captured Japanese photo + 272 (Top) SC 184495 + 272 (Bottom) SC 184494 + 273 SC 186800 + 274 (Top) SC 271479 + 274 (Bottom) SC 287704 + 275 SC 271481 + 276 SC 189112 S + 277 (Top) USAF 18AO-236R22 + 277 (Bottom) USAF 18AO-236R17 + 278 (Top) SC 271559 + 278 (Bottom) SC 271560 + 279 SC 188907 + 280 (Top) SC 191965 + 280 (Bottom) SC 258149 + 281 USMC 75194 + 282 SC 264452 + 283 SC 255799 + 284 (Top) SC 258120 + 284 (Bottom) SC 258122 + 285 (Top) SC 287452 + 285 (Bottom) SC 190022 + 286-287 USAF 18AO-234R29 + 288 (Top) SC 190770 + 288 (Bottom) SC 190023 + 289 (Top) SC 258033 + 289 (Bottom) SC 258032 + 290 (Top) SC 190554 + 290 (Bottom) SC 258170 + 291 SC 190763 + 292 SC 272062 + 293 SC 191355 + 294 SC 238989 + 295 (Top) SC 239021 + 295 (Bottom) SC 257829 + 296 SC 238991 + 297 SC 272260 + 298 (Top) SC 272258 + 298 (Bottom) SC 272261 + 299 USAF 53212 AC + 300 SC 272280 + 301 SC 328594 + 302 SC 267176 + 303 SC 267878 + 304 (Top) USAF A-53686 + 304 (Bottom) USAF C-53686 + 305 USN 282604 + 306 USAF 54084 + 307 USAF 57803 AC + 308 CMH + 309 SC 261074 + 310 SC 196081 S + 311 SC 196457 + 312 USCG 3541 + 313 SC 198318 + 314 SC 348141 + 315 SC 195586 S + 316 SC Unknown + 317 SC 261947 + 318 USAF A-56859 + 319 USAF B-56859 + 320 SC 260179 + 321 SC 287147 + 322 SC 308024 + 323 SC 196606 + 324 USAF 64408 + 325 USAF 58984 + 330 CMH + 331 SC 198654 S + 332 SC 265255 + 333 SC 200587 S + 334 SC 200010 + 335 SC 200017 + 336 (Top) SC 201638 + 336 (Bottom) SC 268778 + 337 (Top) SC 200628 + 337 (Bottom) SC 199999 + 338 SC 265272 + 339 (Top) SC 203013 + 339 (Bottom) SC 200644 + 340 SC 200767 + 341 (Top) SC 322742 + 341 (Bottom) SC 200760 + 342 SC 203004 + 343 (Top) SC 202147 + 343 (Bottom) SC 202145 + 344 SC 202560 + 345 SC 200729 S + 346 SC 202420 S + 347 SC 203048 + 348 SC 334068 + 349 (Top) SC 203073 + 349 (Bottom) SC 203074 + 350 SC 202172 + 351 (Top) SC 202999 + 351 (Bottom) SC 202592 + 352 (Top) SC 200787 S + 352 (Bottom) SC 201366 + 353 SC 263672 + 354 SC 201373 + 355 SC 271152 + 356 (Top) SC 335470 + 356 (Bottom) SC 216825 + 357 SC 208720 + 358 SC 264076 + 359 SC 206277 + 360 (Top) SC 212567 + 360 (Bottom) SC 229843 + 361 USAF 70851 + 362 (Top) SC 208664 + 362 (Bottom) SC 210434 + 363 USAF 59013 + 364 SC 264187 + 365 (Top) USAF 58295 + 365 (Bottom) USAF 58268 + 366 SC 334072 + 367 (Top) SC 265863 + 367 (Bottom) SC 264186 + 368 (Top) SC 271396 + 368 (Bottom) SC 270897 + 369 SC 271001 + 370 (Top) SC 263036 + 370 (Bottom) SC 337930 + 371 (Top) SC 209765 + 371 (Bottom) SC 205921 + 372 (Top) SC 263039 + 372 (Bottom) SC 208670 + 373 SC 205918 + 374 SC 274869 + 375 SC 209387 + 376-377 SC 252389 + 378 SC 209439 + 379 SC 274871 + 380 SC 207988 + 381 (Top) SC 264204 + 381 (Bottom) SC 265177 + 382 (Top) SC 204238 + 382 (Bottom) SC 204236 + 383 SC 264155 + 384 SC 266175 + 385 (Top) SC 208702 + 385 (Bottom) SC 212124 + 386 SC 322626 + 387 USAF 54122 AC + 388 Unknown + 389 SC 207407 + 390 (Top) USMC 109604 + 390 (Bottom) SC 207398 + 391 (Top) SC 207396 + 391 (Bottom) SC 207401 + 392 (Top) USMC 109611 + 392 (Bottom) USMC 111100 + 393 SC 208998 + 394 SC 207788 + 395 SC 207787 + 396 (Top) SC 204800 + 396 (Bottom) SC 205113 S + 397 SC 230293 + 398 + 399 (Top) USN 273880 + 399 (Bottom) USN 273884 + 400 (Top) SC 206497 + 400 (Bottom) SC 207487 + 401 (Top) SC 207486 + 401 (Bottom) SC 207481 + 402 (Top) SC 248856 + 402 (Bottom) SC 248904 + 403 (Top) SC 204284 + 403 (Bottom) SC 183743 + 404 (Top) SC 207959 + 404 (Bottom) SC 207917 + 405 (Top) SC 210416 + 405 (Bottom) SC 210415 + 406 (Top) SC 208607 + 406 (Bottom) SC 208608 + 407 (Top) SC 208599 + 407 (Bottom) SC 208598 + 408 (Top) USAF 61214 AC + 408 (Bottom) USAF 63879 AC + 409 SC 210967 + 410 SC 204192 + 414-415 CMH + 416 SC 145495 + 417 (Top) SC 145509 + 417 (Bottom) SC 147440 + 418 (Top Left) SC 146779 + 418 (Top Right) SC 146771 + 418 (Bottom) SC 148206 + 419 SC 147442 + 420-421 USAF 18AO-187R13 + 422 USAF A-54567 + 423 (Top) USAF A-27445 + 423 (Bottom) USAF 74547 + 424 (Top) SC 193213 + 424 (Bottom) SC 276903 + 425 (Top) SC 263436 + 425 (Bottom) SC 200944 + 426 SC 193765 S + 427 SC 193045 + 428 YANK + 429 USAF 71707 + 430 SC 197352 S + 431 SC 196382 S + 432 SC 198735 + 433 (Top) SC 198917-S + 433 (Bottom) USAF B-25132 + 434 SC 198806 S + 435 SC 203107 + 436 SC 199064 S + 437 (Top) YANK + 437 (Bottom) YANK + 438-439 USAF Unknown + 440 (Top) USAF 57314 + 440 (Middle) USAF 58114 + 440 (Bottom) USAF 57314 + 444 Unknown + 445 (Top) USN 490108 + 445 (Bottom) USN 490147 + 446 USN 490363 + 447 (Top) SC 211312 + 447 (Bottom) USAF 58994 AC + 448 USAF 58209 AC + 449 USAF 69647 AC + 450 SC 329433 + 451 USAF 69680 AC + 452 USAF A-58587 AC + 453 USAF 58582 AC + 454-455 USN 490487 + 456 SC 210628 S + 457 SC 211875 + 458 (Top) SC 212116 + 458 (Bottom) SC 216907 + 459 SC 213317 + 460 (Top) SC 212118 + 460 (Bottom) SC 214297 + 461 (Top) SC 211765 + 461 (Bottom) SC 216451 + 462 SC 212189 + + + + +UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II + +The following volumes have been published: + + +The War Department + + _Chief of Staff: Prewar Plans and Preparations_ + _Washington Command Post: The Operations Division_ + _Strategic Planning for Coalition Warfare: 1941-1942_ + _Strategic Planning for Coalition Warfare: 1943-1944_ + _Global Logistics and Strategy: 1940-1943_ + _Global Logistics and Strategy: 1943-1945_ + _The Army and Economic Mobilization_ + _The Army and Industrial Manpower_ + + +The Army Ground Forces + + _The Organization of Ground Combat Troops_ + _The Procurement and Training of Ground Combat Troops_ + + +The Army Service Forces + + _The Organization and Role of the Army Service Forces_ + + +The Western Hemisphere + + _The Framework of Hemisphere Defense_ + _Guarding the United States and Its Outposts_ + + +The War in the Pacific + + _The Fall of the Philippines_ + _Guadalcanal: The First Offensive_ + _Victory in Papua_ + _CARTWHEEL: The Reduction of Rabaul_ + _Seizure of the Gilberts and Marshalls_ + _Campaign in the Marianas_ + _The Approach to the Philippines_ + _Leyte: The Return to the Philippines_ + _Triumph in the Philippines_ + _Okinawa: The Last Battle_ + _Strategy and Command: The First Two Years_ + + +The Mediterranean Theater of Operations + + _Northwest Africa: Seizing the Initiative in the West_ + _Sicily and the Surrender of Italy_ + _Salerno to Cassino_ + _Cassino to the Alps_ + + +The European Theater of Operations + + _Cross-Channel Attack_ + _Breakout and Pursuit_ + _The Lorraine Campaign_ + _The Siegfried Line Campaign_ + _The Ardennes: Battle of the Bulge_ + _The Last Offensive_ + _The Supreme Command_ + _Logistical Support of the Armies, Volume I_ + _Logistical Support of the Armies, Volume II_ + + +The Middle East Theater + + _The Persian Corridor and Aid to Russia_ + + +The China-Burma-India Theater + + _Stilwell’s Mission to China_ + _Stilwell’s Command Problems_ + _Time Runs Out in CBI_ + + +The Technical Services + + _The Chemical Warfare Service: Organizing for War_ + _The Chemical Warfare Service: From Laboratory to Field_ + _The Chemical Warfare Service: Chemicals in Combat_ + _The Corps of Engineers: Troops and Equipment_ + _The Corps of Engineers: The War Against Japan_ + _The Corps of Engineers: The War Against Germany_ + _The Corps of Engineers: Military Construction in the United States_ + _The Medical Department: Hospitalization and Evacuation; + Zone of Interior_ + _The Medical Department: Medical Service in the Mediterranean and + Minor Theaters_ + _The Medical Department: Medical Service in the European Theater of + Operations_ + _The Medical Department: Medical Service in the War Against Japan_ + _The Ordnance Department: Planning Munitions for War_ + _The Ordnance Department: Procurement and Supply_ + _The Ordnance Department: On Beachhead and Battlefront_ + _The Quartermaster Corps: Organization, Supply, and Services, + Volume I_ + _The Quartermaster Corps: Organization, Supply, and Services, + Volume II_ + _The Quartermaster Corps: Operations in the War Against Japan_ + _The Quartermaster Corps: Operations in the War Against Germany_ + _The Signal Corps: The Emergency_ + _The Signal Corps: The Test_ + _The Signal Corps: The Outcome_ + _The Transportation Corps: Responsibilities, Organization, + and Operations_ + _The Transportation Corps: Movements, Training, and Supply_ + _The Transportation Corps: Operations Overseas_ + + +Special Studies + + _Chronology: 1941-1945_ + _Military Relations Between the United States and Canada: 1939-1945_ + _Rearming the French_ + _Three Battles: Arnaville, Altuzzo, and Schmidt_ + _The Women’s Army Corps_ + _Civil Affairs: Soldiers Become Governors_ + _Buying Aircraft: Materiel Procurement for the Army Air Forces_ + _The Employment of Negro Troops_ + _Manhattan: The U.S. Army and the Atomic Bomb_ + + +Pictorial Record + + _The War Against Germany and Italy: Mediterranean and Adjacent Areas_ + _The War Against Germany: Europe and Adjacent Areas_ + _The War Against Japan_ + + + + +Index + + + Agno River, Luzon, 336 + + Air attacks + Allied, 38, 56, 89, 94, 122, 164, 165, 171, 196, 236, 237, 243, 306, + 307, 318, 319, 350, 363, 365, 374, 387, 422, 440, 445 + Japanese, 9, 10, 11, 15, 30, 57, 90, 91, 102, 132, 163, 173, 251 + + Air bases. _See_ Airfields. + + Airdrop + Burma, 428, 435 + Corregidor, 351, 352 + Luzon, 349, 378 + New Guinea, 166-67 + Noemfoor Island, 299, 300 + supplies, 133 + + Aircraft + bombers, heavy, 89, 92, 164, 236, 260, 268, 270, 284, 307, 324, 325, + 397, 408, 457 + bombers, light, 304, 387 + bombers, medium, 32, 42, 122, 165, 209, 318, 423, 440 + Catalina flying boats, 331, 357 + cub plane, 337 + dive bomber, SBD, 196 + fighters, 13, 190, 284, 364, 365, 374, 423 + gliders, 386 + Japanese, 90, 171, 186, 201, 242, 252, 306, 422 + observation seaplane, 264 + pursuit planes, 32 + torpedo bomber, 38, 122, 242 + transport planes, 133, 145, 165, 166-67, 352, 408, 429 + + Aircraft carriers, 269 + Japanese, 56, 461 + USS _Enterprise_, 90 + USS _Franklin_, 399 + USS _Hornet_, 42, 90 + USS _Lexington_, on fire, 52 + USS _Wasp_, 88 + USS _Yorktown_, on fire, 57 + + Airfields + Adak, 191 + Amchitka, 190 + Australia, 145 + Bellows Field, Hawaii, 13 + Betio Island, 209 + Burma, 429 + construction of, 133, 337, 433 + Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, 80-81 + Hickam Field, Hawaii, 9 + Iwo Jima, 397 + Los Negros Island, 277 + Luzon, 337, 361 + Netherlands East Indies, 306 + New Georgia, 115 + New Guinea, 165, 284 + Noemfoor Island, 298, 299 + Okinawa, 408 + Russell Islands, 106 + Saipan, 252 + Wheeler Field, Hawaii, 8, 17 + + Airports. _See_ Airfields. + + Alligator, 175, 193 + + Ambulance, converted jeep, 101 + + Ammunition + 81-mm. mortar, 277 + 105-mm. howitzer, 127 + antiaircraft gun, 162 + chemical mortar, 119 + machine gun, 23, 179 + + Ammunition dump, on fire, 265 + + Amphibian tractor, LVT, 130, 175, 177, 198, 244, 289, 311 + + Amphibious training, Hawaii, 18 + + Antiaircraft guns + 3-inch, 6, 41, 55, 162 + 37-mm., 204 + 40-mm., 135, 162, 425 + 90-mm., damaged, 132 + Japanese, 156, 188, 193 + + Antitank gun, 37-mm., 26, 62, 92, 93, 229, 232, 240, 257 + + Armored car, light, 381 + + Army band, Guadalcanal, 126 + + Artillery + gun, 37-mm., 154 + guns, 155-mm., 34, 244, 278, 316, 400 + howitzers, 8-inch., 317, 367 + howitzers, 105-mm., 22, 129, 183, 188, 278, 341, 342 + howitzers, 155-mm., 55, 120, 250, 291, 373 + howitzers, 240-mm., 346 + Japanese, 40, 188 + mortars. _See_ Mortars. + observation plane, 272 + pack howitzers, 75-mm., 87, 353, 418 + + Assembly line, for vehicles, 73 + + Atomic bombing + Hiroshima, 448 + Nagasaki, 451 + + + Baguio, Luzon, 372 + + Balikpapan, Borneo, 307 + + Barbed wire, 36, 105, 140, 221 + + Barrage balloons, 131 + + Bazooka 200, 248, 354, 394 + + Bellows Field, Hawaii, 13 + + Bilibid prison farm, Luzon, 349 + + Bivouac area + Guadalcanal, 98 + New Caledonia, 67 + + Bloody Hill, Bougainville, 142 + + Bombardment. _See also_ Air attacks. + aerial, 38, 56, 84, 164, 236, 306, 307, 350, 364, 365 + naval, 38, 39, 84, 231 + + Bombers + formation of, 268, 325 + heavy, B-17, 9, 89, 92, 284 + heavy, B-24, 164, 236, 260, 268, 307, 324, 408 + heavy, B-29, 270, 325, 397, 457 + light, A-20, 304, 387 + medium, B-18, 32 + medium, B-25, 42, 122, 165, 209, 318, 423, 440 + torpedo, TBD, 38 + torpedo, TBF, 122 + torpedo, TBF-1, 242 + + Bomb craters, 170 + Butaritari Island, 202 + Corregidor, 352 + Luzon, 361 + New Guinea, 169 + + Bomb damage, 169 + Angaur, 267 + Henderson Field, 91 + Japan, 447, 449, 452, 453 + Luzon, 372 + New Guinea, 170 + + Bombproof shelter, Japanese, 207 + + Bombs + 500-pound, 236 + 1,000-pound, 196 + parafrag, 306 + + Bougainville, 122 + + Bren-gun carriers, 152 + + Bridges + construction of, 96 + footbridge, 147, 159, 294 + ponton, 28, 29, 336, 430 + repair of, 424 + temporary suspension, 427 + + Bucket brigade, 91 + Japanese, 271 + + Buffalo, 289, 311 + + Burma Road, China, 438-39 + + + Cameras, 174, 241 + + Camouflage + antiaircraft gun, 55 + antiaircraft gun emplacement, 162 + foxhole, 72, 174 + gun, 155-mm., 34 + howitzer, 120, 250 + Japanese aircraft, 306 + Japanese troops, 40 + SCR 300, 297 + + Camouflage suits, 123, 224 + + Cape Sansapor, New Guinea, 302, 303 + + Cargo carrier, M29, 323 + + Cargo nets, 54, 128 + + Casualties, 160, 241, 247, 338, 357, 434 + Australian, 160 + Japanese, 266, 345 + + Caves + Biak, 294, 295 + Guam, 258 + Iwo Jima, 395, 396 + Okinawa, 403, 405 + Saipan, 247 + + Cavite Navy yard, 30 + + Cheney Battery, Corregidor, 356 + + Civilians + Betio Island, 209 + Guadalcanal, 93, 100 + Japan, 271 + Leyte, 312, 320 + New Caledonia, 70 + New Guinea, 155 + Philippines, 31, 337, 383, 386 + + Collecting point for Japanese arms, 460 + + Command posts, 66, 297 + Japanese, 208 + + Communications + field telephone, 99, 358 + SCR 300, 297 + wire stringing, 324 + + Construction + airfield, 133, 337, 433 + bridge, 96 + corduroy road, 157 + + Conveyor, 290 + + Convoy + motor, 59, 323, 336, 417, 430, 436 + ship, 110, 310, 331, 389, 446 + + Coral reefs, 197 + + Corregidor Island, 35 + + Crews + antiaircraft gun, 41, 162, 204, 425 + antitank gun, 93, 229 + gun, 155-mm., 316 + howitzer, 105-mm., 183 + LVT, 199 + machine gun, 23 + mortar, 7, 86, 138, 380, 425 + tank, 282 + Tokyo Raid, 43 + + Cruiser, 39 + + Cub plane, 337 + + + Dagupan City, Luzon, 336 + + Debarkation of troops, 50, 63, 113 + + Decontamination suits, 55 + + Destroyers, 10, 12, 116 + + Dive bombers + Japanese, 90, 242 + SBD, 196 + + Division headquarters, New Caledonia, 68 + + Duck, 69 + + Dugouts, Japanese, 156, 233, 403 + + Dummy tank, Japanese, 393 + + Dumps, on fire + ammunition, 265 + oil, 285 + + Dutch Harbor, Alaska, 58 + + + Embarkation + prisoners of war, 385 + troop, Australia, 61, 149 + + Emplacements + antiaircraft gun 132, 135, 162, 204 + antitank gun, 93, 203 + gun, Japanese, 188 + howitzer, 317 + machine gun, 134 + mortar, 298 + + Enclosure, prisoner of war, 105, 349 + + Evacuation + of casualties, 101, 160, 184, 206, 254, 357 + of civilians, 31 + + Explosions + Japanese warship, 319 + light bomber, 304 + mine, 403 + phosphorus hand grenade, 379 + + + Field telephone, 99 + + Fighter planes + P-38, 284, 364, 365, 374 + P-40, 13, 190, 423 + P-47, 365 + Grumman Wildcat, 91 + + Fire fighters 11, 15, 91, 351 + Japanese, 271 + + Fires + Alaska, 58 + Angaur, 265 + Bougainville, 132 + Fort Drum, 363 + Guadalcanal, 102 + Kwajalein, 231, 233, 234 + Leyte, 312 + Luzon, 343, 365 + Netherlands East Indies, 387 + New Guinea, 163 + Saipan, 249, 251 + Tanambogo Island, 84 + Tokyo, 271 + + Flak, 90 + + Flame thrower, 233, 247, 340 + + Florida Island, Solomon Islands, 82-83, 85 + + Flying boat, Catalina, 331, 357. + _See also_ Aircraft. + + Flying bombs, Japanese, 402 + + Footbridges, 147, 159, 294. + _See also_ Bridges. + + Fort Drum, El Fraile Island, 363 + + Foxholes + Angaur, 267 + Attu, 185 + camouflaged, 72 + Guadalcanal, 98, 103 + Peleliu Island, 261 + water-filled, 407 + + Fuel dump, on fire, 132 + + + Garapan, Saipan, 249 + + Gas drums, 126 + + Gas dump, 189 + + Gas masks + American, 64 + Japanese, 49 + + Gavutu Harbour, 82-83 + + Gavutu Island Solomon Islands, 84 + + Gizo Island, Solomon Islands, 89 + + Glider, Waco, CG-4A, 386 + + Green Island, 281 + + Guerrillas, Filipino, 367 + + Gun emplacements + Corregidor, 47 + Japanese, 188, 193, 253 + Saipan, 245 + + Gun fire + 155-mm., 278, 316 + antiaircraft, 112 + Japanese, 261 + Japanese, naval, 279 + naval, 116 + + Gun motor carriages + 3-inch, 235 + 75-mm., 392 + 76-mm., 370 + + Guns, _See also_ Artillery; Antiaircraft guns. + 37-mm., 154 + 75-mm., 7 + 155-mm., 34, 244, 278, 316, 400 + Japanese, 75-mm., 40 + + + Hand grenades, 263 + + Harbors + Adak, 191 + Gavutu, 82-83 + Japan, 445 + Kiska, 193 + Luzon, 360 + New Caledonia, 63, 70, 108 + New Guinea, 170 + Okinawa, 410 + + Helmets, 6, 23, 98, 404 + + Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, 80-81 + + Hickam Field, Hawaii, 9 + + Himalaya mountains, 420-21 + + Hiroshima, Japan, 448, 449 + + Hollandia area, New Guinea, 286-87 + + Holtz Bay, Attu, 186 + + Hong Kong, 422 + + Hospital, field + Attu, 185 + Bougainville, 137 + Okinawa, 404 + + Howitzer motor carriages + 75-mm., 245 + 105-mm., 246, 359, 366, 370, 371 + + Howitzers + 8-inch, 317, 367 + 105-mm., 22, 129, 183, 188, 278, 341, 342 + 155-mm., 55, 120, 250, 291, 373 + 240-mm., 346 + pack, 75-mm., 87 + + Hyane Harbour, Admiralties, 277 + + + Identification tags, 134 + + Infantry column, 147, 168, 201, 255, 280 + + Infantrymen, 5, 16, 74, 114, 119, 130, 134, 143, 158, 186, 199, 230, + 234, 240, 275, 285, 288, 293, 314, 334 + Chinese, 418, 426 + Filipino, 25, 26 + on board ship, 62, 276 + + Inspection of troops, Los Negros Island, 309 + + Interrogator, 283 + + Intramuros, Luzon, 347 + + Invasion beaches + Bougainville, 123, 124 + Butaritari Island, 197 + Cebu Island, 382 + Guam, 254 + Iwo Jima, 390 + Kiska, 192 + Leyte, 311, 312 + Luzon, 333, 362 + New Guinea, 272, 280, 290, 302 + Okinawa, 401 + + Invasion preparations, for Attu, 179 + + Irrawaddy River, Burma, 430 + + + Jautefa Bay, 286-87 + + Jeeps, 64, 97, 177, 203, 240 + communications, 256 + used as ambulance, 101 + waterproofed, 227 + + Jungle training, Hawaii, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225 + + + Kamiri airfield, Noemfoor Island, 298, 299 + + Kowloon docks, Hong Kong, China, 422 + + + Lae, New Guinea, 170 + + Lake Sentani, New Guinea, 286-87, 289 + + Landing craft + LCI, 113, 305 + LCM, 181, 238-39, 254, 311, 362 + LCP, 18, 92 + LCR, 128 + LCT, 109, 118, 192, 401 + LCV, 126, 184 + LCVP, 124, 184, 238-39 + LST, 125, 131, 135, 272, 273, 281, 290, 362, 389 + LVT, 175, 177, 193, 198, 244, 289, 311, 384 + Japanese, 104 + + Landing operations + Angaur, 264 + Attu, 180, 181 + Bougainville, 123, 135 + Butaritari Island, 197, 198 + Cebu Island, 382 + Florida Island, 85 + Green Island, 281 + Guadalcanal, 92, 127 + Guam, 254 + Honshu, 459 + Japan, 458 + Kiska, 192 + Kwajalein, 226 + Leyte, 311 + Los Negros Island, 310 + Luzon, 332, 362 + Morotai Island, 305 + New Britain, 176, 177 + New Guinea, 272, 280, 302 + Okinawa, 401 + Saipan, 238-39 + Vella Lavella, 117 + + Ledo Road, 436, 437 + + Linesman, 324 + + Lingayen Gulf, Luzon, 331 + + Lipa airfield, Luzon, 361 + + Litter bearers, 160 + + Living conditions, Okinawa, 407 + + Living quarters + Guam, 450 + New Caledonia, 68 + Rendova Island, 111 + + Loading operations + Australia, 149 + Guadalcanal, 126 + infantrymen, 145 + + Log beach barricade, Betio Island, 205 + + Long Tom, 316. + _See also_ Artillery. + + Los Negros Island, 277 + + Lunga River, Guadalcanal, 80-81 + + + Machine gun + .30-caliber, 25, 134, 230, 234, 344, 358 + .50-caliber, 8, 23, 172, 245 + Japanese, 40, 253, 367 + + Mail call, Bougainville, 136 + + Malaya River, Luzon, 376-77 + + Malinta Hill, Corregidor, 355 + + Malinta Tunnel Corregidor, 46, 356 + + Maneuvers. _See_ Training. + + Manila, Luzon, 343, 344, 347 + + Manila Harbor, Luzon, 360 + + Maps + Admiralty Islands, 218 + Aleutian Islands, 178 + Caroline Islands, 218 + China-Burma-India Theater, 414-15 + Gilbert Islands, 195 + Iwo Jima, 388 + Japan, 444 + Leyte, 308 + Mariana Islands, 218 + Marshall Islands, 218 + New Britain, 144 + New Guinea, 144, 218 + Oahu, 4 + Okinawa, 398 + Palau Islands, 218 + Papua, 144 + Philippines, 24, 330 + Solomon Islands, 79 + + Massacre Bay, Attu, 189 + + Matanikau River, Guadalcanal, 96, 100 + + Medical aid men, 137, 203 + + Medical operations. _See also_ Evacuation. + Attu, 185 + Betio Island, 206 + Bougainville, 137 + Burma, 434 + Guadalcanal, 101 + Guam, 254 + Luzon, 338 + Okinawa, 404 + + Message center, Bougainville, 136 + + Mess kits, 134 + + Momote airfield, Los Negros Island, 277 + + Mortars + 12-inch, 47 + 60-mm., 138, 151, 298, 321, 380 + 81-mm., 25, 86, 225, 425 + chemical, 4.2-inch, 7, 119 + + Motor carriages + gun, 75-mm., 392 + gun, 76-mm., 370 + howitzer, 75-mm., 245 + howitzer, 105-mm., 246, 359, 366, 370, 371 + + Motor torpedo boat, 39 + + Mount Fujiyama, Japan, 454-55 + + Mud + Bougainville, 130 + Burma, 424 + Guadalcanal, 96 + Guam, 256 + Luzon, 368 + New Guinea, 274 + Okinawa, 406 + + Munda airfield, New Georgia, 115 + + Munda Point, New Georgia, 115 + + + Nadzab, New Guinea, 166-67 + + Nagasaki, Japan, 451, 452, 453 + + Naha Harbor, Okinawa, 410 + + Naval gun, Japanese, 270 + + Nouméa, New Caledonia, 108 + + + Observation plane, artillery, 272 + + Observation post + Guam, 259 + Luzon, 341 + + Observation seaplane, 264 + + Obstacles, tank, 36 + + Oil dump, 189 + Japanese, on fire, 285 + + Ordnance depot, 73 + + Ordnance repair shop, 22 + + Ormoc Bay, Leyte, 318, 319 + + Osaka, Japan, 447 + + + Pack animals, 27, 65, 322, 424 + + Pack howitzer, 75-mm., 87, 353, 418 + + Parachute bombs, 171 + + Parachutes, 111, 166-67, 171, 299, 349, 351, 354, 378, 435 + + Parafrag bomb, 306 + + Pasig River, Luzon, 343 + + Pearl Harbor attack, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15 + + Personnel carrier, half-track, 140 + + Phosphorus hand grenade, explosion of, 379 + + Photographers, 174, 458 + + Pipelines, Burma, 431 + + Pistol, .45-caliber automatic, 22 + + Plasma, 338 + + Pontoon causeway, 244 + + Priest, 246 + + Prisoners of war + Allied, 45, 48 + Japanese, 37, 105, 161, 283, 385, 396, 405, 409 + + Pursuit plane, P-36, 30 + + Puruata Island, 132 + + + Rabaul, New Britain, 171 + + Rafts + bamboo, 27 + cork, 172 + rubber, LCR, 128 + + Railroad station, Australia, 51 + + Railroads + Angaur, 266 + India, 417, 436 + Luzon, 345 + Saipan, 240, 241 + + Ramgarh Training Center, India, 418 + + Renard Field, Russell Islands, 106 + + Renard Sound, Russell Islands, 107 + + Rendova Island, 118 + + Rescue operations, 53, 95 + + Rest area, Attu, 187 + + Rifles + .30-caliber Browning automatic, 22, 315 + .30-caliber M1, 22, 114, 121, 156 + .30-caliber M1903, 114 + Japanese, 460 + + River crossings + Bougainville, 139 + Burma, 427, 430 + Luzon, 334, 335, 336, 371 + New Caledonia, 64 + New Guinea, 146, 159, 168, 274, 275 + + Rivers + Burma, 427, 430 + Guadalcanal 80-81, 96, 100 + Luzon, 336, 343, 376-77 + New Guinea, 146, 274, 275 + + Roads + Australia, 59 + Bougainville, 130, 141 + Burma, 424, 432, 437 + Butaritari Island, 203 + China, 438-39 + corduroy, 157 + Guadalcanal, 96, 97, 101, 103 + Guam, 256 + India, 419, 436 + Leyte, 323 + Luzon, 336, 364, 371, 376-77 + New Guinea, 170, 274, 282, 292 + Okinawa, 406 + Saipan, 246 + + Rocket launchers + 2.36-inch, 200, 248, 354, 394 + automatic, 4.5-inch, 392 + + + Saber, Australian, 74 + + Salamaua, New Guinea, 164, 169 + + Salvage, aircraft parts, 284 + + Salween River, Burma, 427 + + Samboga Creek, New Guinea, 146 + + Sand bags, 93, 137, 138, 162, 193 + + Seaplane, observation, 264 + + Seeadler Harbour, Los Negros Island, 310 + + Small Arms + .30-caliber Browning automatic rifles, 22, 199, 315 + .30-caliber machine guns, 134, 230, 344, 358 + .30-caliber rifles, M1, 22, 114, 121, 156 + .30-caliber rifles, M1903, 114 + .45-caliber automatic pistol, 22 + .45-caliber Thompson submachine gun, 224 + .50-caliber machine gun, 23, 172 + carbine M1A3, 354 + Japanese, 460 + rocket launcher, 200, 248, 354, 394 + + Smoke screen, 64, 166-67, 378 + + Staging area, Los Negros Island, 309 + + Steel matting, 337, 391 + + Stilwell Highway, 437 + + Street fighting + Luzon, 344 + Saipan, 249 + Shanghai, 49 + + Submachine gun, .45-caliber, 224, 394 + + Submarines + German U-boat, 461 + Japanese, 14, 104, 461 + + Suicide boat, Japanese, 400 + + Sunlight Field, Russell Islands, 106 + + Supply dump, Guadalcanal, 103 + + Supply operations + Arundel, 119 + Attu, 182 + Burma, 428, 435 + Corregidor, 352 + Guadalcanal, 93, 100 + Guam, 256 + India, 417, 419 + Leyte, 320, 322 + Luzon 333, 336, 349, 360 + New Caledonia, 69, 108 + New Guinea, 150, 274, 290, 292 + Russell Islands, 109 + + Surgery room, underground 137 + + Surrender ceremony, 456, 457 + + Survivors + Japanese warship, 440 + of SS _President Coolidge_, 95 + of USS _Lexington_, 53 + + + Tanambogo Island, Solomon Islands, 84 + + Tank destroyer, 230, 235 + + Tanks + Japanese, 33, 202, 208, 253, 339, 393, 460 + Light, 20, 21, 141, 153, 202, 370, 432 + medium, 143, 203, 231, 266, 282, 285, 293, 314, 339, 348, 371, 372, + 403, 432 + medium, flame-throwing, 405 + medium, on fire, 259 + medium, waterproofed, 226 + + Telescopes, 259, 341 + + Terrain + Attu, 180, 182, 186 + Australia, 59 + Burma, 424, 427, 429 + China, 438-39 + Corregidor, 351, 352, 355 + Florida Island, 82-83 + Guadalcanal, 94, 96, 97, 100 + Guam, 255 + India, 436 + Kiska, 192 + Los Negros Island, 277 + Luzon, 341, 350, 361, 365, 368, 369, 376-77 + New Caledonia, 67 + New Guinea, 147, 148, 150, 157, 165, 166-67, 169, 273, 286-87, 288, + 303 + Russell Islands, 107 + Saipan, 240 + + Tokyo, 271 + + Tokyo Bay, 454-55, 461 + + “Tokyo Local,” 270 + + Tractors. _See_ Vehicles. + + Trails. _See_ Roads. + + Training + amphibious, 18 + Australia, 54, 55 + Hawaii, 5, 6, 7, 19, 22, 220, 221, 222, 223, 224, 225 + India, 418 + New Caledonia, 64, 65 + Philippines, 25, 26, 27, 28, 32 + + Transport planes + C-47, 133, 145, 165, 166-67, 352, 429 + C-54, 408 + + Transport ships, 63, 416 + George Taylor, 149 + Japanese, 94, 104 + President Jackson, 128 + + Troops. _See also_ Infantrymen. + Australian, 161, 168 + Chinese, 418, 427 + Japanese, 33, 40, 44, 49 + New Zealand, 71, 117 + + Truk, 237 + + Tundra, 182. _See also_ Mud. + + + Ulithi Anchorage, 269 + + Unloading operations + Attu, 189 + Bougainville, 131 + India, 417 + Iwo Jima, 390, 391 + Leyte, 311 + Luzon, 333 + New Caledonia, 70, 108 + + USS _Arizona_, 11 + + USS _Cassin_, 12 + + USS _Dowries_, 12 + + USS _Enterprise_, 90 + + USS _Franklin_, 399 + + USS _Hornet_, 90 + + USS _Lexington_, 52 + + USS _Missouri_, 456, 457 + + USS _Pennsylvania_, 12 + + USS _Shaw_, 10 + + USS _Tennessee_, 11 + + USS _Wasp_, on fire, 88 + + USS _West Virginia_, 11 + + USS _Yorktown_, 57 + + + V-J-Day parade, Honolulu, 462 + + Vehicles + amphibian tractor, LVT, 130 + amphibian truck, 69, 336 + assembly of, 73 + Bren-gun carriers, 152 + bulldozer, 347, 371 + cargo carrier, M29, 323 + jeeps. _See_ Jeeps. + light armored car, 381 + personnel carrier, half-track, 140 + tanks. _See_ Tanks. + tractor, 7-ton, 189 + tractor, 18-ton, 244 + tractor, crawler type, 274 + tractor, medium M5, 256 + trucks, 290, 406, 417 + trucks, ¾-ton, 392 + trucks, 2½-ton, 191, 437 + trucks, 4-ton, 131, 135 + + + Wake, 38, 196 + + Walkie-talkie, SCR 300, 297 + + War trophies, 204 + + Warships, Japanese, 237, 243, 318, 319, 440, 445 + + Waterproofed vehicles, 226, 227 + + Water cans, 313 + + Water supply point, Leyte, 313 + + Water tanks, 130 + collapsible, 313 + + Wheeler Field, 8, 17 + + Women, Army nurses, 50, 60, 404 + + Wotje Atoll, Marshall Islands, 38 + + + _Yank_ magazine, 296 + + Yap Island, 260 + + Yokohama, Japan, 447 + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 69698 *** |